Forsaken Past
by TessII
Summary: Kagome is back in her time and living as a normal student...until she stumbles upon a modern-day demon attack and a certain group of detectives stumbles upon her.
1. Chapter 1

_Her breath came in ragged bursts as her legs worked tirelessly to move her suddenly heavy body past her limits. It was no use, the slimy stone corridors seemed to stretch and undulate endlessly on every side of her as if she were in the belly of a beast. Kagome could hear and feel dark laughter all around her as light suddenly appeared before her. Ahead she could see her comrades already engaged in the battle. Suddenly the fleshy corridors released her and she burst out into the fray where scores of demonflesh and blood littered what looked to be a dilapidated courtyard. The miko vaguely recognized it as one of Naraku's castles.  
_

 _Sango and Miroku panted nearby, sweat beading on Miroku's brow as he clutched his kaazaana arm painfully. Kagome wouldn't doubt that he had absorbed some of Naraku's poisonous insects already. She could see two silver blurs circling the writhing mass of evil above her and the dark taint of the jewel within the spider-hanyou's body._

 _Her own body trembling with exhaustion she drew her bow back and charged as much energy as she could muster before letting her arrow fly through the heart of the spider. She watched as if in slow motion as the mass of tentacles that made up Naraku pierced his red-clad opponent and ripped a still-beating heart from his chest._

"No!" Kagome jerked awake. Her body was tangled in her sweat stained sheets and her dark hair plastered on her forehead as tears burned her eyes. Her breath shuddered in her aching throat as if she truly had been there, running through that cursed castle in search of Naraku. Smothering her face into her pillow she rode out the worst of her panic attack, feeling as if she was going to die of suffocation but knowing it would pass. She had lived through a thousand different scenarios in her nightmares, but they all ended the same. At last the panic attack receded slightly. Quietly she sobbed into her pillow before taking a fortifying breath and turning to look at her alarm clock.

 **03:32** blinked back at her in bright green numbers. She took a deep breath and crinkled her nose at the musky smell of her sweat-soaked sheets.

' _Might as well get these washed...'_ The young woman stripped her bed and piled them into the washer before going to change her clothes. Her eyes were sore and her chest felt empty from her impromptu display of emotion after the nightmare. The nightmares did not come as often now, and she supposed that was something to be grateful for. She would never forget her friends or the sacrifices made to rid the world of the Shikon jewel, but at least she could recover and move on with her life.

She dropped her dampened pajama pants and shucked her shirt and underwear off right there in the laundry room. Her family wouldn't be up for hours yet, and it wasn't as if the little brown spider that had taken up residence in the corner would care. She tossed the soiled clothes in with her bed linens and started the machine before quickly climbing the stairs up to her room stark naked.

The priestess pulled her hair back into a high pony-tail as she adjusted her tank and yoga pants before starting her morning jog. She breathed deeply when she entered the almost preternatural stillness of the pre-dawn and smiled to herself. At least she could pretend in this quiet time of the morning that nothing had changed, and she was still in the past with her comrades.

Emotion burned in her chest again at the fond memories and she clamped down on her thoughts as she jogged through what remained of Inuyasha's forest behind the shrine. The last thing she needed was to trigger two panic attacks in less than an hour. Instead, she concentrated on keeping her mind blank as Miroku and Kaede had both taught her during meditation. The crisp not-quite morning air burned pleasantly in her lungs as she pushed herself forward. The trail left the trees onto a main street and she turned on the sidewalk to start the long loop around the block and back towards the shrine.

Her senses touched lightly over the area. Kagome had yet to run into any sort of demon in modern Tokyo, but old habits died hard. She would not admit to herself that she was _hoping_...In any case, she had been caught with her pants down in the past enough to at least keep tabs on anything unusual.

All too soon she was back home and enjoying the sting of hot water on her chilled skin. She glanced at the clock as she re-entered her room, toweling off her wet hair and sighed.

 **04:56** she glared at the numbers blinking merrily at her.

She returned to switch the laundry once dressed and then began on the chores that her grandfather usually did. His health had taken a concerning turn for the worst since she had returned permanently from the past- nearly two years ago now- but she had shouldered the burden of extra chores as easily as she had the duty of the Shikon no Tama.

' _At least the thing can't hurt anyone anymore...'_ she thought with a little hint of pride. It had been her wish in the end that nullified the jewel. If only she had been a little quicker to reach the battle...It had been the hardest thing in the world, not to use it to bring him back, but despite the turmoil in her heart she _knew_ it had been the right decision.

Her mind swiftly quashed those thoughts before she could go down that path again. The sun began to peak over the horizon and Kagome paused in her sweeping to enjoy the soft bruise of pink and purple against the dark sky. The world was still turning, and she had a life to live.

The miko had held out hope of seeing some familiar faces when she returned to her time, though with the two-year mark nearly upon her those hopes had nearly faded to nothing. She had thought, if nothing else, maybe Shippou would still be around. 500 years was a long time, though, and she wondered if he would even remember her. After all what was the four years they shared to 500? Not even a drop in the hat.

' _Even if they didn't remember me, I'd he happy just to know they're alright..'_ She held no illusions of her human companions, there was no way that they were still living. Kagome had tried to trace public records of family lineages back, but to no avail. Only the most important lines were recorded back in that time, so even the chance of finding her friends great-great-great so on grandchildren were out of her grasp. The miko doubted it would ease her loneliness, but at least it would be something linked to before.

"Kagome?" Her mother's voice called softly from the house. "Do you want to help with breakfast?" The young woman turned to her mother with a 'hai'.

Eight o'clock finally rolled around and Kagome fiddled with the straps of her back-pack as she walked to her University. It had taken a lot of work to dig herself out of the academic hole she had put herself into during her adventures, but she managed to scrape by without repeating a year. She was majoring in history, which, goes without saying, had become her best subject in high-school.

Even if the books _did_ get some of the actual events wrong.

Ayumi gushed to Kagome about her new boyfriend once morning classes were over. The cafeteria was bustling with fellow students and Eri and Yuka plopped down at the small round table. Eri rubbed her temples with a sigh.

"I don't know how you find time for a boyfriend with all this work." She whined earning chuckles from around the table.

"There's always time for love." Ayumi sighed. "Aren't you going out with Hinata, Eri?" Kagome's friends conversation washed over her as she savored her meal and enjoyed the company of the friends she had left.

"Ooooh, look! Its Shuichi!" Sighed Yuka drawing the envious stares of Ayumi and Eri to the red-head that walked by one of the windows. Several girls trailed behind him tittering and blushing. "I'd love to land even a date with him..."

"You'd have to fight your way through his fan-club first!" Laughed Eri. The other two chuckled good-naturedly. "You're pretty quiet Kagome, everything ok?"

"Of course." She grinned at her friends over her rice. "Just thinking about my next project."

"You're always so studious Kagome, it's a complete one-eighty from when you were out sick all the time in high-scool." Eri's voice was envious. "I never could have bounced back so well."

"You should come to Riku's party tonight!" Yuka exclaimed as she positively vibrated with excitement. She could see the rejection on her friends lips and so continued, "Oh come on! Please? It's been so long since we've all gotten together outside of school." All three of her friends gave her puppy-dog eyes. The miko lasted all of half a second before she caved.

"Fine!" Kagome almost snapped as she snatched her drink, then realizing how harsh it had come off she softened her voice. "I'll go." She sipped her drink as her eye twitched with annoyance, she hated it when her friends ganged up on her. Her hackles smoothed almost immediately as her friends happy chatter picked up again. It wasn't as if she'd had plans or anything...

* * *

Kagome sighed as her heels clicked against the cement. The party had not been bad, but she was still glad to be on her way home, even if it was nearly midnight and her feet were starting to ache something fierce. Yuka and Eri chatted on either side of her as the symphony of their footfalls echoed around them. A pleasant buzz covered her skin, but she was sure that Yuka was a bit more than just buzzed from the way she laughed just a little too loud at Eri's jokes.

The priestess stopped suddenly and put her arms on either side of her to stop her friends as well. Something was tickling the edge of her senses, and it was enough of a disturbance to reach her even through her slight inebriation. Her eyes scanned the dimness beyond the streetlight and a gasp lodged in her throat.

Ahead of them was a dark alley, and what appeared to be a woman's foot and leg, her body having disappeared into the darkness. Her friends gasped and took a step back as they, too, saw the appendage.

"Should we make sure she's ok?" Eri took a half-hearted step forwards but Kagome shook her head. She could sense a demon in the alley with the woman's body, and she'd be damned if she exposed her friends to that kind of danger.

"I'll check on her, you two call an ambulance." This was not a situation she wished to enter after a night of drinking, but, buzzed or not, the role of protector was not one that could be cast off lightly, even after two years of peace.

"Our phones aren't working!" Wailed Eri.

"Then go back to the liquor store!" Kagome snapped, having no patience for the panic in Eri's voice. "Tell the cashier to call an ambulance." Her friends blanched at her authoritative tone and nearly stumbled over themselves as they ran towards the store. Kagome took a steadying breath as her heart slammed against her ribs.

' _Come on, you've beaten Naraku, this small fry should be nothing_.' Her eyes scanned the nearby area looking for a viable weapon. Finding nothing she kicked off her heels and snatched one off the concrete. ' _it's not like I can fight in heels anyway_.'

The miko eyed the darkness before her wearily. She could still sense the demon, but it was further back in the alley. Kagome knelt beside the woman and placed her fingers on her pulse point. It was soft, but there. She dared glance down at the dim outline of the stranger against the city-darkened concrete and saw no blood, but her eyes flicked back to scan the darkness almost immediately.

' _fainted, probably.'_ She stood up as she felt the malicious energy coming closer.

"What have we here?" The rough voice echoed out from the void, "A sweet little virgin for dessert?"

"Back off!" Snarled Kagome as she felt the energy press in around her. A dark chuckle caressed her ears.

"Or what? You'll smack me with your shoe?" He was close now, but still just out of reach of her arm. She dared not throw the heel and loose her only means of defense to the inky blackness that surrounded her.

She sensed more than saw his lunge. His energy spiked and Kagome channeled her own power through the heel as she would her bow. The alley was bathed in pink light and she brought the sharp heel of her shoe down into one of the demon's eyes. She flinched at the amazing volume of his death-cry as he almost immediately dissipated into ash.

She was frozen from the ease with which the human-looking youkai had been dispatched. His remains floated almost daintily down to soil the white blouse and black skirt she had chosen for the party.

Her breath escaped her in a rush and her heel clattered to the ground from nerveless fingers. She fell to her shaking knees as the adrenaline began to leave her. Sirens could be heard approaching and she knew that her friends had come through with the ambulance.

The battle may have been anti-climactic but she knew if there had been more to it she wouldn't have lasted. It had been so long since the feudal era, and while she had kept in shape with jogging and archery practice those were a far cry from a life-or death situation.

' _shake it off, girl_.' Kagome slapped some life and color back into her cheeks and stood up suddenly. ' _Just a low-class demon. No big deal.'_

Except it was a big deal. She had lived in Tokyo all her life and never even so much as sensed a demon, not even during her four years of shard hunting had she sensed more than the demon piper and the noh mask.

"Kagome!" She heard Yuka's voice and her stumbling steps accompanied by Eri. An ambulance pulled up near the alley and Kagome got on her feet to stay out of the way of the professionals. Yuka and Eri's arms were thrown around her and the two trembling girls sniffled with terror as they watched the ambulance load the woman into the back. The display made Kagome doubly grateful she had sent them away before the demon attacked.

"Do you think she's dead?" Eri sniffed into Kagome's ear. It was a testament to how much the other girls had drank that night that neither noticed their friend was barefoot.

"No, she just fainted." Kagome reassured as she rubbed both her friends backs. "She had a pulse and everything, honest." She gave her friends her warm smile and leaned her forehead against both of theirs.

It may not have been the same way Sango supported her after a battle, but she was still glad for the warmth and companionship that she gained from her modern-era friends.

"Come on, let's go. These guys have everything under control." Indeed the ambulance was already pulling away from the curb and speeding towards the hospital.

* * *

"We traced an E-level demon from the boarder to Tokyo. He claimed one victim, a man. A woman witnessed the attack and fainted. An ambulance was called for her. She's already been released from the hospital and her memories have been altered" Kurama stood with his hands in his pockets as he delivered his report, Hiei looked off to the side.

"You called her an ambulance?" Koenma's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"No. Someone else called before we arrived on the scene." Kurama corrected.

"And the culprit?" The demi-god pressed.

"Vaporized." Emerald eyes studied his employer for any signs of surprise, and was not disappointed. "Before we arrived." Another beat of silence stretched between the three figures. "All that was found at the scene was ash...and a pair of high-heels."

 **A/N: This is my first attempt at an Inuyasha/YYH crossover. I am more familiar with Inuyasha than YYH so if you have any suggestions for a character's personality or the spelling of a name please don't be shy to let me know in the reviews.**

 **Also let me know if you think I should continue this fic or not, I've got a vague idea of where to go with it but all suggestions will be taken into consideration. This includes wants for a certain type of pairing or certain events you'd like to see play out.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

"Kagome, dear, are you feeling okay?" Her mother's brow furrowed with worry as she reached out to feel her daughters cheeks and forehead for signs of fever. "You look absolutely exhausted." The miko didn't doubt she looked little better than death warmed over, for she had slept for perhaps an hour last night before she was awoken by another nightmare.

"I'm fine, mama." Kagome sent her what she hoped was a convincing smile as she sipped on her morning tea. The late night of drinking and sudden attack last night hardly helped her haggard appearance this morning, and pile on top of that her body's conditioning to wake at or before dawn thanks to a certain inu hanyou and she was lucky to string together more than five hours of sleep a night.

Her mother returned her daughter's smile, though the expression did not quite reach her eyes. The pair chatted amiably over their early breakfast. Souta had gone to spend the weekend with a friend and her grandfather rarely rose early anymore.

Kagome pulled a still damp loch of hair out of her eyes as she went about caring for the shrine. The soft fragrance of her shampoo wafted over her as she focused only on the tasks at hand. She dressed traditionally this morning, but in lieu of the red hakama she chose green. The girl just could not bring herself to wear what in her mind were Kikyo's colors, though the time was long past that she would be mistaken for that woman.

Several visitors milled about on the shrine grounds as she carried out her chores. It was a little late in the season for tourists so the gift shop was closed, not that gramps was in any condition to man the shop anyhow. The autumn was slowly giving way to winter and there was a distinct chill in the air that even the sun couldn't dissipate. Kagome took a breath of the crisp air and smiled to herself. While it was a far-cry from the almost sweet air of the feudal era, the cool air was fresher by far than summer.

"Kagome!" Said girl's head snapped up at the voice and she smiled at Ayumi cresting the shrine steps. Her face was pink from the exertion of running up the stairs and she could see a few strands of hair plastered to her forehead from sweat, even on this cool day.

"Kagome..." Her friend bent over to rest her hands on her knees and pant. "I...heard what happened...last night." Kagome took her friends hand and lead her to one of the benches on the shrine grounds so that she could sit and regain her composure.

"You weren't answering your phone." Her friend scolded, "You had me so worried!"

"Gomen." Kagome pulled her friend into a hug. "None of us were hurt, everything's ok." Her friend pushed away and leveled a stern look at her.

"What were you thinking going into a dark alley by yourself!?" The priestess blinked in surprise, "Who knows what kind of creep could have been lurking in there! Especially with a woman half dead...if there had been someone there they could have gotten you, too." By the end Ayumi's voice had lowered and tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.

"It's alright." Kagome took her friend's hand and held it gently as Ayumi wiped tears off her cheeks with the heel of her hand.

"No, it's not alright!" She continued stubbornly. "I know you think you can handle yourself after dating that two-timing delinquent in high school, but you can't put yourself in danger like that."

A familiar pain entered her heart at her friends words, but it was an old pain that echoed hollowly through her chest. She took a breath to fight back the slight ache that shot through her throat. When she was sure her voice would not betray her she spoke.

"You're right. I'll be more careful in the future." The two embraced and Ayumi pulled her off the bench.

"You're done with your chores now right? Let's go, Eri wanted to meet up with us for some shopping. There's a killer sale at the department store." At the reluctant look in her friend's eyes Ayumi bit her lip and gave her the full-force of the puppy eyes. "Please?"

Kagome was torn between sighing and laughing. "Whoever taught you three that trick is going to get a five-finger sandwich." The pair shared a grin. "Come on, let me change into something more casual."

An hour later found the trio perusing the mall. Each girl had at least one bag of shopping.

"I'm _so_ glad finals are over." Ayumi blew out a breath, "the new semester is starting on the first, are you going to take anything other than dusty old history classes?" Her chest swelled up with pride, "I'm going to advanced choir."

"Congrats!" Kagome gushed honestly before she began to ponder. "Let's see...I think they're offering archery this semester."

"You really are a shrine maiden." Laughed Eri, "at least I know who to come to if I move into a haunted apartment!" She nudged Kagome's shoulder playfully and the three shared a chorus of laughter.

The group settled in the food-court and Kagome watched the setting sun outside the window with a content smile as her friends bantered across the table. Last night's incident seemed as if it belonged to another universe it was so far from their minds.

"What we really need is to get Kagome set up with a man!" Ayumi's voice jolted Kagome back to the here and now. "Ever since Hojo moved on to medical school you haven't even gone on a date. Seriously you're going to get cobwebs in your lady-bits at this rate."

Kagome's face flushed crimson and she hissed at her friends to keep it down, only for the two to laugh raucously at their embarrassed friend.

"Sorry Kagome, but we worry about you." Eri said when her mirth had died down. "I mean, it's not healthy to be alone."

Another pang echoed in her chest before she forced a small smile and put her hands over her friends.

"I'm not alone. I've got you guys." The trio shared the warmth of the moment with smiles.

It was dark when the three began heading home. Her friends took the bus together and waved her off. It was only a twenty minute walk to the shrine from the bus stop. Kagome adjusted her purse on her shoulder as she walked through the rapidly cooling night. She could see the shrine steps in the distance when she felt it.

Her entire frame tensed up and she had to restrain herself from looking behind her. There were two this time. One was significantly more powerful than the last. She closed her eyes and took a steadying breath as she pretended to be adjusting her skirt and cardigan. The evil energy came closer and she could hear it's-no _his_ she could distinctly feel it was masculine-foot falls coming up behind her.

As she fiddled with her clothes her eyes cast about for something to use as a weapon and tried to surreptitiously look over her shoulder to get a look at this new demon. The man behind her grinned when he caught her eye and her heart stuttered in her chest. Like the last one on the surface he looked like a regular man, but just under his skin she could see a tint of blue to his skin and crimson eyes behind his brown.

She looked away and held her breath as she cast her senses out again. Where was the other one? She had felt a distinctly powerful demonic aura, one to rival Inuyasha or Koga. She flinched as a clammy hand fell onto her shoulder. Shit, she had let herself get distracted.

"Need some help, miss?" The man leered down at her and she struck his hand off of her and leveled her best glare at the man. "Aw come on, don't be a stuck up bitch." He moved closer to her and she felt her power hum to life under her skin at this new threat.

The demon grabbed her wrist and immediately screamed and took a step back. His hand dissipating as ash in the wind. "What the fuck are you!" He snarled as his other hand reached into his jacket and pulled out a ten-inch knife.

' _Oh shit_.' Only years of life and death situations against much more threatening demons than this helped her to avoid the swift strike. Her cheek burned where the cold blade had made contact and she drew more of her holy powers to the surface and held her hand out as she had with mistress centipede all those years ago.

White hot pain blossomed over her palm before her powers surged forth and the knife clattered to the ground as sparkling ash fell on and around her. Kagome cradled her sliced palm to her chest. Blood dripped from the wound to stain her cardigan and land with soft patters on the sidewalk.

Still full of adrenaline Kagome's shaking legs carried her towards the shrine steps and she raced home. She absolutely did not understand what was happening. Two years she had been back and not one demon had bothered her, and now two nights in a row she had been attacked?

Her body quivered as she felt the high level demon from before closing in on her faster than she could imagine and her already hammering heart began to beat painfully in her chest. ' _I wish I'd put up a barrier around the shrine_!' Miroku had taught her how to make the sutras and infuse them with her energy, but she hadn't thought she'd need such techniques here.

' _If I live through this I'm going to put up a barrier to put mount Hakurei to shame! I won't take one more damn step off shrine grounds.'_ She veered away from her house as she felt the energy closing in. She didn't want the thing to know she lived here.

The energy paused near the base of the shrine steps. It was probably looking over the remains of it's friend. Kagome ducked behind one of the large trees in the patch of forest behind the shrine and held her breath. Her lungs immediately burned in protest to the action but she closed her eyes and tried to sense what the demon was doing.

It's aura was wild, and a bit angry. Her heart beat painfully in her chest as she waited to see what the demon would do. If it decided to come after her she was, in the famous words of Inuyasha, fucked. Suddenly the aura began to move away, and just as quickly as it had appeared it vanished.

Her breath exploded out of her lungs. Kagome couldn't be bothered by the embarrassingly loud breaths she was gulping in as tears of relief built behind her eyes. It hadn't sensed her. It hadn't come for her. The pain in her palm and cheek flared to life once more and the miko remembered herself as she slid down the thick trunk of the tree to sit on the damp, grass-covered earth.

Her mother would shit a brick if she came home like this...

She took another steadying breath and concentrated her powers on the wounds. Slowly the bleeding stopped and the skin was seamless again. Still, Kagome didn't move for another twenty minutes as she cast her senses out to make sure it was truly safe. Shakily she rose and made her way towards one of the store-houses where she could find some of the sutras Miroku had given her before the final battle.

' _I'll make more in the morning_.' She promised herself as she charged and slapped the sutras on several places on the house.

"Kagome? What's going on?" Her mother's voice came from the top of the stairs just as she was finishing up with the barrier around the house. She guessed that it was a statement that her mother did not comment on the blood on her blouse, her family was so used to her coming home covered in the stuff.

"Mama." Kagome's still shaking fingers came up to grab her mom's hand. "A demon attacked me. I put a barrier up. Please don't leave the house tonight." Her mother's eyes locked with her own and she could tell that the woman wanted to ask questions.

"Of course." Her mother's grip tightened on her daughter's hand. Her brave, beautiful daughter who had faced demons in the past all without the support of her family. Her mother was here now, and what kind of mother would she be if she couldn't support her only daughter through this new dilemma.

* * *

Hiei was not stupid. He was a far cry from Kurama's calculated genius, but he had strategy of his own when the situation called for it. Very rarely did that strategy involve retreat, but as he surveyed the ash and bloodied knife, as he took in the strange lightning-like scent of the human blood that lead towards the steps of a shrine he thought that, perhaps, a tactical retreat might be in order.

He had felt the terrible aura and seen the pink flash light the area up like a damn Christmas tree, even from his perch almost a mile away. He knew this was connected with last night's incident, how could it not be? Not many could render a demon into ash with just a flash of aura, even a level E.

Hiei glared in the direction he could feel the aura dripping with desperate fear in the trees on the other side of the shrine. He entertained the idea of destroying it and purging the world of that dangerous power, but instead he snatched the assault weapon from the side-walk and after a moment of hesitation grabbed the purse and shopping bag as well.

The shadow disappeared back into the night as he made his way to the apartment of someone who may be able to make sense of all this. Kurama.

 **A/N**

 **Thanks to those who read and special thanks to Ashley Renee for the correction on spelling and Heaven-water-sister for the feedback.**


	3. Chapter 3

Kagome sank down into the steaming water with a soft sigh. The barrier was up and now surrounded the entirety of the shrine grounds. Needless to say she was exhausted from the sudden strenuous use of her powers after they had lain dormant for so long.

' _If demons have it out for me again I should get back into fighting shape...'_ Kagome felt a chill over her spine despite the near scalding water surrounding her. She'd never had to be the sole protector like this, and if this is how Inuyasha felt in the beginning she understood why he shoved her down the well. If demons came after her family she didn't know what she would do... At least she had gotten the barrier up. It would keep all demons off the shrine grounds, and her family would be safe as long as they stayed here.

' _Am I being targeted specifically by these demons? Or is it just a coincidence that I was suddenly attacked out of the blue twice in a row?'_ And if she _was_ being targeted what could she do to arm herself in everyday life? It wasn't like she could walk the streets of Tokyo with a bow on her back. How could she protect her family when they were off shrine grounds? Would giving them blessed protective charms draw more attention to them and put her family at even greater risk?

A headache began to throb behind her eyes and Kagome sunk lower in the water so that just her nose was above the steaming surface. Frustration bloomed in her chest and she wished now more than ever that she could go through the well and ask the advice of Sango or Miroku. Hell, she'd be ecstatic to see just about anyone from the old times, except _maybe_ Naraku.

' _I'll need to get new I.D.s tomorrow_.' Both attacks had happened after dark, so she was sure that if she went during the day she'd be fine. Unfortunately she couldn't find her purse or the new heels she'd bought to replace the old ones this morning. She must have left them at the scene of the attack last night. The black-haired miko sank further into the water with a disappointed groan _'I got a really good deal on those, too..._ '

* * *

Koenma eyed the I.D. on his desk with trepidation that the beaming face on the laminated plastic did not warrant. Kurama had made an attempt this morning to return the purse and shoes and perhaps get some questions answered only to be met with a powerful barrier that encompassed a majority of the shrine grounds. A barrier that had not been there the previous night.

To make matters worse there had been an increase in low-level demon activity in the Tokyo area and several more murders had come about because of it. Yuske and Kwabara were chasing leads on that case, but as soon as one demon was dealt with three more popped up to take it's place. The toddler rubbed his temples as he contemplated what to do.

"What else do we know, besides her name and address?" He asked the red-headed avatar standing across from his desk. Emerald eyes shimmered mischeviously as they met his own.

"Well," He held up a high-heel shoe with a smirk, "We know she's a size six."

* * *

Kagome reached her senses out at the edge of the barrier just before the red torii gate at the top of the stairs. She couldn't feel anything malicious. Cautiously she set one foot out of the barrier which rippled around her and tickled like spider silk against her skin. The priestess swallowed thickly as she left the safety of the barrier before steeling herself.

' _Don't be such a scaredey cat.'_ She chastised herself as she walked slowly down the shrine steps. ' _It's the middle of the day and there are so many people around there's no way that any demons will appear.'_ Emboldened by her internal pep-talk she nearly skipped down the last few steps before turning towards town. Her green pleated skirt so similar to the one she had worn to the past twirled around the white tights she wore to keep the chill off her legs.

She had felt the demons come back yesterday morning just before eight and test her work, but her barrier held strong. She had gotten it up just in time. Fierce pride burned in her chest and she held a victorious fist in front of her. ' _Take that!'_ She blushed as several passerby gave her odd looks and picked up her pace again.

She turned the corner and came up short with a squeak as she nearly ran into a hard body. Her apology died in her throat as she met the emerald eyes of the one she had nearly bowled over. She flushed as she recognized the unmistakably beautiful face of Shuichi. Her crimson face immediately lost all color as she felt the spark of youkai deep inside the universities's Idol and she took half a step back.

"Ah, excuse me. Higarashi, Kagome is it?" Fear clutched her and she took another step back. She couldn't feel the youkai clearly, but she knew that it was inside him. Was he possessed? The beautiful not-quite demon produced her purse and held it out to her, as if it was a peace offering. The youkai inside of him didn't feel malicious or angry... it was just sort of _there_.

Cautiously she reached out, keeping her senses sharp for any spike in energy that would denote an impending attack, or sudden ill-will. Her fingers barely brushed the strap when she felt the powerful angry aura from last night closing in from above. Her frightened eyes snapped up to the blur of a shadow and she turned and shot like a bullet back towards the safety of the shrine and her barrier.

She ignored the angry shouts of the people she dodged through. It was gaining on her, gods it was so fast. She felt it directly behind her when she turned the corner and ducked just in time. The wind from its attempted grab tickled the hairs on the back of her neck as she slid around the corner. The shrine steps were in sight now but there was no way that she would make it before it had her.

Several passerby had yelped with surprise when she had skidded around the corner and several were berating her, but Kagome couldn't afford to pay them any heed. She choked on her breath as she tried to push herself even faster before a bruising grip crushed her wrist and Kagome felt her power flare to life and lash out at the strange demon.

"Yamero!" She snarled as her energy escaped her and knocked the youkai back. Freed, she wasted no time in fleeing from the stunned demon and fell, panting, through the barrier as tears burned the back of her eyes. The embrace of her own holy energy swirled comfortingly around her as she held her bruised wrist to her heaving chest and fought the frightened tears that threatened. ' _Oh Inuyasha...I wish you were here_.'

Soft foot-steps approached her from the stairs and she rolled onto her back and scrambled away from the barrier as Shuichi appeared on the top step just before the start of the barrier. Kagome's eyes locked with his soft expression and she could feel her fear fading, before that faint spark of youkai from within him snapped her out of it and she scrambled back to her house.

* * *

 _ **She's like a startled hare. You should have let me do the talking Shuichi.**_ Yoko commented from the depths of his mind. Shuichi doubted that it would have improved the situation.

 _She wasn't frightened until you opened your mouth._ He stated.

 _ **You think she could sense me?**_ The fox seemed enthralled by the idea.

 _Well she definitely sensed Hiei._ He frowned at the bottom of the stairs where said demon was glowering at the barrier. A soft red burn marred the hand that had grasped the woman and he could feel the frustration lacing his friends already tumultuous aura.

"Are you well?" Kurama asked his friend softly as he placed the purse and bag at the top of the stairs almost against the barrier. His long-time partner in crime grunted acknowledgement. "You frightened her." His friends glare turned to him but there was no real heat behind it.

"Let's go, I doubt she'll be out again anytime soon after that." Kurama turned to the fire apparition only to smile at the empty space he had occupied a few moments prior. The avatar turned his green eyes back toward the empty courtyard of the shrine and a hint of gold shone behind the emerald orbs. Yoko had found himself a puzzle, and a very attractive one at that.

* * *

Kagome was angry. She felt like a prisoner in her own home. Her knuckles were white on her clenched fists as she paced the length and breadth of her room. Whatever was going on she was sure that demons were targeting her now. How else would they know her name? What did they want with her? Would they come after her family, too? Thoughts chased each other in circles through her mind as she paced before she let out a frustrated growl and kicked the post of her bed.

"I'm not going to live like this, you hear me!" She shouted at her window, as if the youkai that were hounding her could hear what she was saying. The miko clenched her teeth so hard it was almost painful as she dropped to her knees and fished around under her bed. Her rage was smothered as she pulled out the red robes of the fire-rat and the hard bundle they concealed.

"I miss you." She said quietly as she stroked the bundle in her arms. "I'm such a coward." She sniffed. "Hiding behind a barrier. You'd never hide, not even if you were within an inch of death." Kagome parted the red robes and ran her fingers over the polished hilt of tessaiga She brought it up to her lips and ran them gently along the hilt as she reminisced fondly of the barrier Kaede and Miroku had used to hide Inuyasha from Royakon so many years ago.

"I wish you were here." She murmured to the sleeping sword. She pulled the sword out of the sheath. It used to look like a battered old katana, but once totosai had re-forged it with Inuyasha's fang it's dormant state was shining and new. She smiled sadly as she ran her fingers lovingly over the blade. She could feel a tiny trace of Inuyasha's Youkai from his fang within the blade.

"I'm not going to hide forever." She said more to bolster her courage than anything else. "I just need a game plan..." Her eye slid over tessaiga before she placed it carefully back in the scabbard and on her pink-clad bed. She slid her closet open slowly and blinked at the bow and quiver within. The Saigu-Yumi...almost exactly like the one Kikyo used, but it pulsed sleepily with _her_ power. Not Kikyo's. The bow she used in the final battle against Naraku. She gripped it lovingly and put it next to the tessaiga before digging around for her old duffel bag.

She couldn't wear the weapons openly as she may have in the past, but she'd be damned if she was caught with her pants down again. If these demons wanted to corner her like a damn dog she'd show them exactly how a cornered dog would react. She turned back to the still open closet and the red and white miko garments gathering dust within. Calmly she gathered them up and laid them on top of the two weapons within the large duffel. At least if she was stopped or searched she could tell them she was going to perform a ceremony.

The duffel was bulky but no more so than her yellow pack had been and she'd never been without that in the past. She'd show these demons exactly who they were messing with, and they'd either leave her and her family be, or they'd leave this plane of existence.

 **A/N**

 **Thanks to all who read and enjoy this fic so far. Please feel free to leave a review to let me know what you are and are not enjoying about the story so that I may incorporate or cut these things in the future. The more feedback and ideas that are thrown around in the reviews the more likely I am to actually finish this story.  
**

 **Special thanks to Foxgloves I appreciate your feedback on both chapters and will do my best to steer the pairing. Also thanks to KannaKyomu for the review.**


	4. Chapter 4

Kagome's mother brought her purse and newly purchased shoes into the house. The priestess eyed the items warily, but took them from her mother and checked her shoes and wallet. Everything was safe and accounted for. ' _Why would he return these? Isn't he working with that other demon_?' She thanked her mother only half listening as she explained that someone had left them just outside the Torii gate.

"I don't know why they wouldn't just bring them to the house... anyone could have taken them." Her mother mumbled as she putted around the kitchen. Kagome knew exactly why, but she kept her observations to herself. There was no need to worry her mother even more. Shuichi really was a demon if he couldn't pass her barrier. Normally that would not automatically make him an enemy, but she was still too unsure of his motives.

He hadn't tried to hurt her...but he hadn't exactly attempted to help her either. Both actions, or lack thereof, were telling in their own way. ' _Whatever. At least I got these babies back, and now I don't have to go through the hassle of getting new I.D.s_ ' She put the heels in her closet where they could collect dust until she was forced into another dress-up occasion. ' _I wonder how his fan-club would react if they knew he was a demon.._.' Kagome nearly giggled as she thought of their reaction.

Did this mean she would have to thank him? Her mirth was doused as her spine tingled with uneasiness at the thought. Though she could hardly sense the youkai within him, what she could get was powerful and dangerous, but he had been attending her university even longer than she had. He had an annoying fan-club that followed him everywhere, and she couldn't remember anyone going missing from university. Did that mean he was one of the good youkai? Or was he just too smart to shit where he ate?

Classes were out for the next week and Kagome spent the entire time behind her barrier. She tried to tell herself that she wasn't hiding, and that she really had no reason to be leaving the shrine right now anyway. There were plenty of chores to keep her occupied, but when she caught herself organizing the storage sheds for the second time she admitted to herself that she may be looking for excuses not to leave home.

She had made the decision not to cower behind the barrier, but every time she approached the Torii gate and the delicately swirling barrier edge with her duffel over her shoulder her heart would leap into her throat and her knees would start knocking together. She had chickened out every day this week and returned to the shrine to do more cleaning or scrubbing. Her grandfather was delighted, at least.

Today she had no choice but to leave the safety of the barrier or loose her spot in the classes she had selected for this new semester, so it was with a fortifying breath Kagome took a step through the gossimar barrier and started determinedly towards her school. Demons were _not_ going to keep her quivering at home for the rest of her life. She had faced them before and come out alive, if not always completely whole, and there was absolutely no reason that she could not do so again.

She ignored the little voice that repeated that she had always had Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku or even Shippo to lean on last time.

' _Even if I_ am _on my own, I won't loose_.' The miko promised herself as she entered school grounds. The walk had gone without incident, and had she been less ruffled by the last week and a half's events it may have even been somewhat soothing. As it was Kagome only relaxed when she was safely surrounded by other humans in her first class.

"What's with the bag?" Yuka asked around a mouthful of lunch that afternoon. Eri and Ayumi leaned close to express their own curiosity and Kagome laughed lightly before she waved them away from the item in question.

"It's just my stuff for archery." It wasn't _really_ a lie if there was a bow inside, was it? She did put her outfit for archery inside too, so that made it even more true. The fact that she was carrying an ancient demon sword, fire-rat robes, and miko clothes didn't have to come to light.

"I'm moving into a new apartment soon, I'll call you if there's any creepy ghosts." Eri laughed. Kagome took the teasing good-naturedly. She didn't mind when her friends poked fun at her for being a shrine maiden.

"I'll send them packing." She put a stern expression on and mimicked her own grandfather's pose with a napkin, "evil, begone!" She popped the napkin onto Eri's forehead and the four of them laughed at the goofy display as the abused paper fluttered down to the table harmlessly.

"Seriously though, you're going to throw out your back again lugging that thing around." Ayumi said with a hint of worry in her voice.

"No way! It's not even that heavy." Kagome assured them as she took a drink and leaned back thoughtfully. "How are your new classes?"

Ayumi sighed dejectedly, "Haru couldn't get the same schedule as me. He even has classes during my lunch break." Eri rubbed her back comfortingly, although she didn't sound super sympathetic as she chirped about how fun choir was.

Kagome waved goodbye to her friends as she turned back to the courtyard and to her next class, only to blink in surprise at a pair of familiar emerald eyes who seemed just as taken aback to see her there. Her spine tingled and she plastered on an awkward smile.

"Minamino-san." Kagome was proud that her voice didn't break as she offered him a slight bow, "thank you for returning my things." She skirted around him and was prepared to bolt when his hand caught her wrist lightly. She squeaked in surprise and shook him off with a little more force than necessary. Her face flushed with embarrassment at the rude gesture but she refused to apologize.

"It was no problem, Higarashi-san." Instead of acknowledging her rude gesture he blessed her with a smile that would have melted a lesser woman, but Kagome was no push-over when it came to attractive men-or demons as the case may be. "Although if you're available, I'd like to discuss some things with you after your classes."

"Sorry-I can't." The priestess turned away and then she did bolt. A crowd of students blocked her from his view and then she was gone.

 _ **Yes, she's definitely part hare**_. Yoko purred in his head, _**and it just so happens hares are my favorite prey to catch.**_

By the time her classes got out the autumn sun had already sank behind the buildings and cast long shades over the nearly empty school grounds. Shadows of skeletal trees reached towards her like grasping hands as she trekked home. She kept one hand on the zipper of the large bag at her hip. She could feel some weak youkai, but they weren't close enough to be a threat to her. There were definitely more around now than she had ever felt, save for her adventures in the past. Kagome had to smother a hysterical laugh.

' _And here I thought there were no demons in my time_!' She could not quite decide if she was happy with the revelation at this point. Yes, there were demons all around her now, but none of them were the ones she had been hoping to see. She was almost home-free when she heard it. One foot had been lifted to begin the ascent of her shrine's stairs when a woman's scream pierced the air.

Kagome jumped and whipped around. Her eyes scanned the darkness and a cold sweat broke out over the back of her neck. She took a few steps towards where she had thought the noise came from when the scream came again only to be cut off suddenly. The priestess could feel the demon responsible, it's aura was pulsating with sadistic excitement. There was no indecision or agonizing over the choice as there had been with leaving her home this last week. Her bag was unzipped and she had an arrow in the bow without even having to think about it. The kami must have been with her, because even though she was running full-out and readying her weapon she managed not trip and fall flat on her face.

She could see the demon up ahead as it leered down at it's prey.

"Hey, ugly!" She snarled to gain it's attention. Her sacred arrow caught it directly in the right eye and it's body disintegrated to ash. The priestess panted as she set her bag down and knelt next to the bloodied woman. She surveyed the red mess on the woman's face and let out a breath of relief, it was only a cut to the forehead.

The woman moaned as Kagome applied pressure to the wound that gushed blood dramatically. Head cuts were always the worst bleeders.

"You're going to be okay." She assured as the woman's eyes opened. "He's gone now." The woman sighed and her eyes fluttered closed again as she relaxed back into unconsciousness. Kagome started digging around in her pocket for her phone when she felt several other demonic signatures closing in on her location, including the angry aura that had nearly grabbed her yesterday.

' _Dammit! Can't catch a break_!' She stood with her bow and reached back for an arrow out of habit only for panic to grip her heart as she realized her quiver was in the duffel bag twenty feet behind her and several demons already stood blocking the way. At least her angry friend from yesterday kept his distance, she could sense him above her, probably on the roof of the building. Was he waiting for something? Her attention was drawn back to the immediate threat of the demons closing in on her from the mouth of the alley.

' _No big deal. I've got a sacred bow. I am a powerful warrior priestess. I got this_.' She hoped that the demons could not see the way her knees knocked together as she gathered her power into the bow. It hummed to life in her hands and the energy practically sang with happiness when she plucked the bowstring once exactly as Kaede had taught her to do for exorcisms.

The demons screeched and covered their ears at the twanging sound. She took a hesitant step forward as the creatures backed away with hatred and fear swimming in their crimson eyes. A determined look settled across her features and she took a solid step forward as she plucked the string again. Several of the weaker demons fled before her but one held it's ground in front of her bag. It lunged forward with a snarl after the next pluck of the string and she jumped back and struck it with the bow out of instinct.

The humanoid beast howled in outrage as half of its face sizzled and bubbled from the contact with her holy energies. ' _I need to up the wattage_.' She poured all of her power into the bow and twisted to avoid the demons claws as she put all her physical strength into the next knock to it's head. She didn't feel a physical impact and for one heart-stopping moment Kagome feared that she had missed. An instant later ash sprinkled down on her and she breathed a sigh of relief. Her aura had purified the creature before she could even get a hit in.

"Maybe that was a little overkill..." She said quietly to herself as she reined in her power and dragged her bag towards the woman who still lay out of it on the ground. Kagome scanned the darkness for anymore threats as she retrieved her quiver and slung it over her shoulder with practiced ease. All seemed quiet now. For a second time she fumbled in her pocket for her phone only to drop it on the hard concrete as she shot back to her feet.

He was here. That angry aura was _so_ close to her. One hand was at her quiver and she was halfway pivoted to face the threat when she froze in terror as cold steel touched her throat and her heart stopped in her chest.

"Drop it." A voice to match the freezing sword resting on her collarbone commanded. Kagome's bow clattered to the ground. "and the quiver." It followed her bow, but she managed to keep hold of the arrow and held it on the inside of her arm out of sight of the demon. Her heart and breath were too loud in her ears as she closed her eyes and tried to swallow, but her throat was suddenly a desert.

"You're a tough girl to get a hold of, Higarashi-san." A somewhat familiar voice echoed through the alley. Kagome dared not move to look behind her where she was sure Shuichi was materializing from the darkness beyond. She supposed she knew what this angry demon had been waiting for...backup. He stooped to retrieve her fallen weapons and carried them to set against the brick wall much too far away. "We mean you no harm."

' _Bullshit_.' Scoffed a very Inuyasha-like voice in her head. The sentiment must have showed on her face as Shuichi continued.

"I can see how you may not believe that, but you understand we have to take precautions for our own safety." The red-head was behind her now and saying something else, but she wasn't listening.

 _'I am not_ _going to die here after everything I've gone through.'_ But what could she do with the demon equivalent of the flash holding a katana against her jugular? Her hand gripped the arrow hidden between her arm and body until her knuckles turned white. ' _Well, if I am going to die, I'll go down Inuyasha style_.' She flared her aura suddenly and caught both of the demons by surprise. The sword stung her neck as she ducked the sudden swipe and she could feel hot sticky blood from the shallow cut dripping down her cleavage.

She made to go for her bow but the black-clad demon was already between her and her weapon and the flickering of his form was her only warning that he was coming in for the kill. With a soft cry she crossed her arms in front of her and the demon rebounded off of the hastily constructed barrier. His skin sizzled where it had come into contact with the purifying energies.

She backed up and her heels hit the unconscious woman. She was trapped with no weapon except for the arrow, which would hardly do any good against a Katana, and it would do even less good considering the quickness of this demon.

Kagome's legs and arms trembled with exertion, but while her body was weak her spirit reacted to her terror and flared beautifully around her. The entire alley was bathed with the pure pink light of her holy power.

"What the _hell_ is going on here?" Two others had appeared at the mouth of the alley. The black haired youth raised an arm as her aura brushed him and his arm sizzled slightly. The other new-comer with strange orange-red hair gaped for a moment before the first one snapped at him to do something.

As the human approached her he passed through her aura without harm. He was saying something to her, but she couldn't hear over the blood pounding in her ears and as he reached for her she acted.

"Stay away!" She screamed and struck out with the arrow. The human caught her wrist and twisted the pitiful weapon out of her grip easily. She tried to tug her arm free then went in with a knee to the groin which was also easily dodged.

"Sorry!" He said quickly before forcing her arm painfully behind her and securing her struggling body with an arm under her breasts. She writhed between the strong arm and his hard body and managed to bash the back of her skull against what felt like his nose. Her attempts were futile, his grip didn't even slacken despite the hissed curse that escaped her captor.

"Uhh what now?" The man's rough voice could be heard from behind her as she realized that she was once again captured, and this time there was no Inuyasha to come to her aid. Her heart was painful against her ribs and her lungs seized with terror.

"You'll have to knock her out." Shuichi's cool voice stated. "She's much too worked up to listen to reason."

"Seriously? Geeze, sorry about this miss." There was a jarring pain on the back of her head and she tensed before falling limply forward in his arms as darkness danced around her vision.

 **A/N**

 **Thanks to all who read and enjoy this story.**


	5. Chapter 5

It was all Kagome could do to keep herself from passing out. She could feel herself being moved but her eyes couldn't concentrate and voices swam together in her ears. She thought she caught a flash of blue and pink and a woman's voice and then the darkness of the night was erased and replaced with a bright noisy area.

Her unfocused vision went black for a few seconds before something bitter was shoved into her mouth and she was suddenly and painfully aware of her surroundings. She slammed her shoulders away from her captor who released her easily. Her knees buckled and she fell to all fours on a cool tile floor as her head danced with dizziness and nausea rolled through her stomach.

Her insides threatened to heave and she rested her overheated forehead against the soothing tile where she panted as she took stock of her situation. She reached up to her injured collar-bone only for her fingertips to encounter some kind of sticky sap. At least she wasn't bleeding anymore. Large hands moved to hook over one of her arms and she jerked away and shook the stranger off before forcing herself to her feet and stumbling against a wall where she continued to pant and tremble.

"Welcome to spirit world." A voice drew her gaze to what appeared to be a toddler behind a desk full of paperwork. "I had wished to meet you under better circumstances." He leveled a stern look at the men that stood beside and behind her. There was a beat of silence before her duffel bag was tossed onto the toddler's desk.

She took half a step forward before her vision swam and she clutched the wall for dear life again. Perhaps it was lucky, since she missed the way the strangers jerked forward as if to intercept her.

"T-those are mine." She winced at the softness of her voice. She may not have said anything, for the toddler still unzipped the bag and pulled out the priestess' outfit before his eyebrows hit his hairline when he pulled out the familiar red robes and the sword wrapped within. Anger pulsed in her chest and she opened her mouth to try and yell but he spoke first.

"Tell me, miss Kagome. How is it that you came across such articles?" The question hung in the air as the priestess gathered her strength and pushed off from the wall. She held out one hand and did her best to channel a certain daiyoukai.

"Give those back, or I won't say a thing." Her voice was steady, though perhaps not as intimidating as she had hoped. The kid held the items out and she stumbled forward and gathered them into her arms as if they were a sleeping babe. She put the robes to her nose and took a deep breath, the faded scent of Inuyasha that stilll clung to them and the brush of Tessaiga's youkai over her senses fortified her and a sigh shivered out of her lungs.

What should she tell them? What could she tell them? Her eyes glanced nervously around the office to the impatient and impassive faces of the men she had faced and lost to in the alley. ' _Gomen...I wasn't strong enough_.' She silently apologized to her friends. Finally she steeled herself and spoke.

"These belonged to a friend." She started as a soft smile touched her lips. Her throat and eyes burned as tears threatened but she swallowed them back and decided to jump right into the deep end. "Someone I met five hundred years ago while collecting shards of the shattered Shikon No Tama." The silence almost hurt her ears and she dared not look up from where she had nearly buried her face into the fire rat robes.

"Bullshit." Her eyes were drawn to a boy in a muscle shirt and green pants with shiny black hair.

"I don't care if you believe it." Her eyes and voice were suddenly steely as she glared daggers at the youth. Anger was easier to stomach than fear and she was prepared to grip it with both hands.

"No need for that." The toddler interrupted, "I may know your name, miss Kagome, but allow me to introduce myself. I am lord Koenma, and these are my spirit detectives. Yusuke Urameshi, Kazuma Kuwabara, Hiei, and Kurama." He pointed to each of them respectively. "I, for one, believe your story." He let the statement hang in the air and Kagome's anger started to dissipate.

"I believe your story because there are record that allude to a girl of your description with your name from that time." Koenma eyed her over his steepled fingers as if judging her reaction. "It was chaotic back then and nobody could investigate the situation at the time. I'm glad to find the source of the discrepancy."

"She's lookin' pretty good for five hundred." Yusuke was suddenly next to her and she nearly fell backwards in surprise.

"I'm not five hundred!" She sputtered, indignant, though she didn't know why. "I was pulled through a well and ended up back then."

Koenma waved the building argument away. "In any case let's get down to the meat of the situation. These demon attacks are getting out of control, especially around your part of town." His eyes narrowed over his hands at her. "Any idea why? A certain jewel, perhaps?"

"The Shikon is gone." She said quietly, "I wished it away after we got rid of Naraku." Koenma let out a disappointed sigh, he had hoped that would be the reason behind the attacks. It would have made the case a hell of a lot simpler.

"Alright, toddler, I've got a question." Yusuke interrupted the silence, "just what the hell is she?" He jerked his thumb towards the woman in question.

"I'm right here ya know." Kagome muttered with a deadpan look.

"It's simple, Yusuke." Kurama surprised everyone when he spoke up. "I've suspected it for awhile, but upon seeing her garments there," he gestured to the miko clothes lying forgotten on the desk, "I feel safe to say that she is, in fact, a priestess." His emerald eyes cut to the one in question. "Isn't that right, Higarashi-san?

She felt her face heat at his intense look, though she couldn't say why, and nodded once before gathering Inuyasha's robes to her face and almost hiding behind them.

 **Look how shy she is Shuichi** , Yoko purred from his mind, **Pure as her name implies.**

"In any case, we've no reason to hold you so you can go back home. We will be placing you under surveillance, however." Koenma's gaze fell on Hiei whom had been standing off to the side acting as if he had no interest in the goings-on around him and Kurama who bowed his head in acquiescence.

"What? No!" Kagome gasped, "I don't need babysitters!" She stomped her foot as her face flushed with anger.

"It's just a precaution, and it would help greatly with our investigation as the demons seem to be congregating around your home." The miko grit her teeth but stayed silent. At her grudging acceptance Koenma waved them off. On her way out she nearly ran headfirst into a blue-haired woman.

"Its so good to meet you, my name is Botan!" Kagome blinked in surprise at the bubbly girl but she couldn't help the warm smile the grim reaper inspired.

"Kagome, Higarashi." She shook the other girls hand, "You can call me Kagome." The pink-clad female grinned with delight and moved aside to open up a portal that lead just outside her house. "Wow! Amazing!" She gushed as she reached a hand through the swirling portal and brought it back to inspect it.

She noticed the looks she was getting from the spirit detectives and she sobered a bit and took a step through the portal.

* * *

The vapor of her breath puffed before her like a disembodied spirit as she jogged through the woods behind her shrine. She hadn't been for one of her morning runs since this entire debacle started, and it felt good to stretch her legs again. She could feel Hiei's signature aura nearby, but now that she knew they meant her no harm she breathed easy enough to leave the barrier and take up her normal routine once again.

Her mind danced with the questions that had been answered yesterday during her brief visit to 'Spirit World' but new questions bit at the heels of her answers. Why were they so surprised that she was a priestess? She thought it would have been obvious. She lived on a shrine, she used a bow and arrows, and she had holy powers. She'd never run into a lack of miko in the feudal era.

What was with Hiei's aura? It was almost abrasive against her senses, and she was more than a little frightened of the demon. Her hand moved to rub against the smooth skin that had been sliced by said demon last night. Whatever that sticky stuff was it had healed her overnight. She wondered who had slathered it on her. Kagome came to a stop under a large tree where she could feel the rough waves of Hiei's aura and she smiled up at the dark branches, completely unable to see anything.

She blinked up at the darkness then her eyes moved to roam over the few stars that she could see in the pre-dawn sky over the city. She felt bad about attacking the spirit detectives, but really they could have handled the situation better. How was she to know which demons were good and bad? Guilt pinged against her chest. She really hadn't given them the opportunity to explain, either, and Shuichi, or Kurama as the case may be, had at least tried to meet her halfway with his offer of speaking after school.

"I'll forget the cut, if you forget the burns?" She asked hopefully to the darkness. The small smile faded a little as only silence answered. ' _Well, he didn't seem like the forgiving type anyway, but it never hurts to try_.' Kagome turned towards the shrine steps and walked the rest of the way back home.

The aura of her nocturnal watcher faded with the sunrise and Kagome felt a tension she hadn't even been aware of leave her shoulders.

Kagome ran her finger over one of the sutras on the Torii gate as she left later that morning. The barrier was still going strong, but she put just a pinch more energy into the sutra to fortify it further. She may trust the spirit detectives to an extent but she wasn't about to leave her family unguarded with all the demonic activity, especially since said activity seemed to converge on her house if what that boy Koenma said was true.

The priestess glanced over her shoulder at the beautiful pink bubble that encompassed her family with a small smile. At least she was able to do that much for her family. Kagome came up short as a familiar red-head waited at the bottom of the stairs.

"I take it you've got the day shift?" She asked with good humor, despite the irritation that lanced through her at the thought of being under constant watch.

"Guilty." He fell into step beside her as they walked to school together. The pair didn't speak, and the bustle of the city filled the silence. When the university came into sight Kagome groaned and stopped suddenly. "Something wrong?"

"Well..." She was suddenly nervous "we're practically here, and there's no other demons around. Maybe we should go in separate?"

"Ashamed to be seen with a demon?" His tone was light but he could feel Yoko's annoyance and couldn't help but feel a little offended himself.

"No, of course not!" Kagome's voice was softer, "it's just...your fanclub...I really don't want them to see me with you and get the wrong idea?" The avatar couldn't help the laugh that escaped him.

"You're afraid of a few overexcited girls?" The thought was amusing to both of his personalities. The pair entered the grounds and the infamous fan-club members turned to regard the girl that dared approach their idol. As their glares burned into her Kagome could only think of one thing.

"I'd rather fight a whole horde of demons..."

 **A/N:**

 **This chapter gave me some trouble, hopefully the next one will be funner to write! As I said before I don't have much experience with YYH(I watched it when I was a kid and remembered liking it) but the timing would be after Yusuke discovers his demon blood but before he trains in the Makai for a year.**

 **Sesshomaru will be making an appearance (hopefully soon) but I want to try to stay true to his character and have a couple ideas of how to introduce him.**

 **thanks to all those who review! You have no idea how much I appreciate the feedback!**

 **To answer foxgloves' question I do not have the chapters written in advance, it usually takes me anywhere from 2-8 hours to get a chapter written depending on how my creative juices flow that day. That being said I am about halfway done with the next chapter (and working on Sesshomaru's much more interesting intro scene just have to figure out where it will fit).  
**


	6. Chapter 6

Kagome dropped her phone onto the foot of her soft bed. A nice big crack decorated the screen from it's rough treatment the night she officially met the spirit detectives, but she found herself wishing that the device had shattered all together. First Yuka, then Ayumi, and finally Eri had all called to hound her about the fact that _the_ Shuichi Minamino had sat with them at lunch. At least his fan-club hadn't gotten the gall to confront her, though if the looks she'd received all day were anything to go by it wouldn't be long before they mustered up the courage.

The priestess tied her hair back and proceeded downstairs to help her mother with dinner. Souta's newest video game blared in the hallway, despite his closed door. Gunshots and shouts could be heard along with her brother's loud voice jeering at his fellow gamers. She smiled as the smell of cooking dinner and her grandfather's grumbling voice wafted up to her from the kitchen. Safe. Her family was safe. Her barrier and the demonic aura outside it ensured that, and while she had been reluctant to accept their help in the beginning she found herself grateful for it.

She wasn't alone in this.

Souta thumped up the stairs as Kagome cleaned up the leftovers. She stared down at the food and turned her attention to the window thoughtfully. ' _Maybe he'd take better to a peace offering?_ ' She gathered up some of the still warm leftovers before following Hiei's aura to the same tree he had occupied that morning. She squinted up at the completely hidden demon once again and felt a sudden sense of deja-vu.

With her smile firmly in place she left the dishes at the foot of the tree before skipping back up the shrine stairs. Halfway there she paused and turned back towards the street where she could sense several demonic auras lurking just out of sight on the other side. Her eyes slid over to the tree where she could sense Hiei hadn't moved. Were these demons not dangerous, then?

Well...the things weren't causing any trouble, and if Hiei wasn't bothered by them she supposed there was no point in confronting them. Her bow was back in her room anyhow with the duffel bag Botan had returned to her earlier that day, and Kagome wasn't keen on picking a fight unarmed when she didn't have to. She turned away from the demons, which wasn't her best idea in hindsight. As soon as her back was turned all five auras flared and rushed towards her.

By the time she had twisted back around to face the threats all five demons were frozen halfway across the road as their heads slowly slid away from their bodies. Kagome felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise as she saw the outline of the red-eyed demon responsible. She decided right then that Hiei was the most terrifying creatures she had met in recent memory.

"Stupid girl." The short demon glared at her, "never turn your back on a threat."

"Uh...right." She backed away from the surly creature before she plastered on an awkward smile. "E-enjoy your meal!" She squeaked out before she retreated up the stairs and back behind the barrier. She had to suppress a shiver as she slipped into her bed. If these guys had wanted to hurt her or, gods forbid, kill her in the first place...she would have been dead several times over before she even realized there was any true danger.

His aura was in the same tree when Kagome started her pre-dawn ritual. She paused by the trunk and grinned at the empty bowls, absolutely delighted that he had eaten. Perhaps the sight of the empty bowls did not deserve quite the amount of happiness that radiated off of her, but she truly felt that his accepting of her 'peace offering' was a huge leap forward when compared to their relatively rocky beginning.

"Maybe I'll start leaving you offerings every day, Hiei-san." She mused good-humoredly, "let's just hope the kami don't get jealous." She heard a soft scoff from the tree above her as she collected the empty dishes with what she was sure was a dorky grin.

"None for me?" Kurama's teasing voice surprised her into dropping a bowl. The avatars hand flashed out and caught it easily before it could shatter on the sidewalk.

"Shui-er Kurama-san! I wasn't expecting you here so early...I won't be ready to go for hours yet." Kagome flushed as she took the empty dish and skirted away from the man. She was sure she smelled just _delightful_ after her morning jog, and didn't want to offend his sensitive youkai nose.

 ** _Still so skittish...tell her we'll accept her as an offering anytime_**. Yoko's playful voice went unheeded.

"Don't worry, I'm only patrolling the area." His eyes followed her movements and she thought she could catch a hint of amusement in his voice. For some reason she could feel her face heating up.

"Well then Keep up the good work! I better not get in your way!" She nearly tripped as she bolted up the shrine steps with the dishes in hand and Kurama couldn't suppress his soft chuckle.

 _And to think she gave us so much trouble_. Shuichi mused to a pouting Yoko.

 _ **She didn't even offer us breakfast.**_ Fox grumbled with no little jealousy. Shuichi was surprised at the emotion at first then grinned inwardly. The demon was obviously not used to a woman who didn't dote upon the pair of them, perhaps associating with a woman who resisted their natural charms would humble the creature.

* * *

"So let me get this straight." Kagome eyed him skeptically as they walked the darkening street back towards her home after a long day of school. "You are sharing your body with the soul of a kitsune?" She supposed that explained why she couldn't always sense his demonic aura. She leaned in close to look into his eyes with her own narrowed orbs as she expanded her senses to try and feel the fox hidden within. Right now she couldn't feel anything odd from him at all. "Do something." She demanded as curiosity gripped her.

"Pardon?" He chuckled.

"You know something demon-y." She flushed at the immature wording and then took a step back as she realized how close she was to the attractive red-head. A light dusting of pink decorated her cheeks but she kept her gaze strong as she waited for his next move.

Kurama quirked an eyebrow at her word choice before producing a small seed and feeding it demonic energy. Kagome's breath caught as she sensed the sudden intense aura, and then her eyes sparkled as the seed bloomed into a beautiful red rose.

"Amazing!" She gushed and Yoko preened at her praise, "did you manifest that seed with your energy, too?"

"Ah, no. I keep them in my hair."

"You...keep seeds in your hair?" Kagome couldn't help the snort followed by full-blown laughter at the image of Kurama painstakingly pulling seeds out of his hair during a shower. She felt his youkai rise to the surface again and felt her heart falter when she was suddenly captivated by two golden eyes as a devilish smirk spread across Kurama's face. He took a step into her personal space and pushed the rose behind her ear.

"I amuse you do I?" Even his voice was different, and Kagome knew that she was speaking with the fox Yoko. His face was perhaps an inch from her own and the smell of roses seemed to overwhelm her. The knuckle that lingered in her hair behind the rose trailed down to her heated cheek and Kagome felt gooseflesh raise in the wake of the appendage.

"I can think of several much better ways to amuse the both of us." His voice oozed seduction and Kagome squeaked and stepped away from the fox as her cheeks burned nearly as red as the rose in her hair. Just as suddenly as the energy had surged forth it became dormant again and Kurama gave her a rueful smile.

As Kagome woke up sticky and out of breath that night she felt the moisture between her thighs with no little trepidation and she couldn't help but think that while Hiei was certainly frightening, Kurama was in a wholly different league of terrifying.

* * *

Despite her misgivings about both of her new watchdogs, it was easy for Kagome to fall into a routine with the pair over the next couple of weeks. She even got to know a little more about Yusuke and Kuwabara as well as their main squeezes. The normal day-to-day activities the group shared was punctuated with at least two demon attacks per week, and while the attacks became more bold, no more people had yet been hurt.

Kagome jerked awake suddenly and panted in her bed. She had no idea what had awoken her from her dreamless sleep, or what had her heart palpitating in her chest until she felt it again. Her body shivered at the feeling of something being repelled from her barrier and sat up in a panic. Her mind cleared from the fog of sleep as the sensation repeated and she threw her window open. She couldn't see the attacker, but she could sense them. Ten, maybe more. It felt like Hiei was fighting them.

' _He might need help_.' Kagome slammed the window shut and pulled Inuyasha's fire-rat haori from where she'd had it folded on her dresser. ' _Just in case_.' She donned it and tied it with a makeshift obi so that the oversized garment wouldn't fall and shoved Tessaiga into the obi then snatched her bow and quiver before stampeding out of the house. She winced as a stronger force bounced off her barrier and changed direction. The fight was behind the house in what remained of the forest.

She could barely make out the fight despite the light of the full moon. She could see Hiei silhouetted against the trees, and what looked to be four or five quick creatures dancing around him. Two lay hewn in dark pools at his feet, but the others weren't letting up and the normally quick demon's movements were more sluggish than usual.

' _Is he injured?'_ She dare not call out for fear of distracting him during the battle, but she did not think twice about leaving the safety of her barrier with an arrow drawn. She let it fly as one of the shadows ducked towards the panting fire demon, the holy light lit up the area like a beacon and purified the attacker. The remaining four that she could see took a cautious step back and Kagome stood next to her ally.

"What happened? Did they hurt you?" She asked quietly as she leveled another arrow at the curiously still attackers.

"Fool, get back into the barrier." Hiei hissed as he took a step forward. Kagome had a retort on her lips but was forced to let her arrow fly at the sudden movement of their attackers. The flash of pink streaked through the air to thunk uselessly against the trunk of a tree, but her breath caught as she saw a glimpse of the battlefield. Too many bodies for her to count were strewn throughout the trees.

' _What's going on? Why did they back off so suddenly_?' Kagome wasn't so full of herself as to believe that they were afraid of her powers. ' _Their planning something and I'd better get Hiei out of here before they come back_.' The small demon hadn't moved but she was sure he was scanning the area for the escaped foes. Her face paled as she sensed more demons gathering just outside her ring of sight.

Suddenly she was shoved roughly to the ground and something hot and wet splashed across her face.

"H-Hiei!" Kagome gasped. A body thudded heavily on either side of them and the fire apparition panted where he hovered above her. She could feel the blood from his wound dripping onto her and feel the small tremors in his muscles. The priestess could sense a higher level demon gathering it's youkai just beyond his body and wrapped her arms around the small demon that covered her. She rolled them so that she was above him and closed her eyes as she put every ounce of her faith into the Tessaiga and the fire-rat robes as the strange demons offensive energy washed over them.

Tessaiga heated up on her hip much as it had when it protected her from Sesshomarus melting poison. Once the energy died away Kagome rolled off of the injured Hiei and grabbed up her bow. She turned to fight only to bite off a scream as she was seized from the side. Her power flared almost involuntarily as panic flooded her body and the few demons that had converged upon her dissipated into ash.

As soon as the flare died down several other demons converged on the pair and Kagome felt her bow ripped from her grip. ' _Oh no_!' She was pulled off her feet and thrown away from the barrier and the fallen Hiei. Her breath was knocked out of her lungs as she landed heavily on the blood-riddled ground before she could regain her composure she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder and her mind immediately went fuzzy.

Strong arms lifted her up and she watched with a half-lidded disconnected gaze as Yusuke and Kurama appeared on the scene. 'Pretty...' She thought drunkenly as the scene flashed with the bright blue light of Yusuke's spirit gun before everything went dark.


	7. Chapter 7

"Shit!" Yusuke cursed as he kicked one of the fallen bodies surrounding them, "they got away." He turned concerned eyes to his long-time ally and friend Kurama who bent over Hiei's sweat-drenched form.

"They drugged him, but the wounds are superficial. He'll be fine in an hour or so." The avatar stood up and scanned the unnaturally quiet area. What little wildlife clung to this copse of trees had been flushed out by the battle.

"That damn Toddler's going to chew our asses for this." Yusuke didn't normally care about what Koenma thought of them or their work, but he felt guilty as hell right now letting that miko-Kagome- get kidnapped. His dark eyes clashed with Kurama's and he could read the tense set to the man's jaw as they had a silent exchange.

"What would demons want with a priestess anyway." Kuwabara asked as they gathered their fallen comrade and prepared to contact Boton. "I mean, look at all the ash around here isn't she dangerous for 'em?" Emerald eyes slid from their fallen comrade over to Kuwabara, but no words answered his question.

Yoko supplied Shuichi with several reasons that a demon may want to possess the pure spiritual soul and body of a miko, one of which Yoko had fancied doing himself, and none of the possibilities boded well for Kagome's fate if they could not get to her quickly.

 _ **You're wasting time. You know they must be taking her to the Makai.**_ Yoko growled in his head.

 _Hiei is a waste of time now?_ Shuichi snapped with just as much venom, _calm yourself you stupid fox don't let our allies fall just to answer the heat of your loins._

 _ **The fool got himself drugged, he's not on deaths door.**_ Yoko grumbled unhappily, though Shuichi could feel the fox's underlying excitement to commence the hunt. It was like the old days, once the woman got to the Makai she would be nearly impossible to pin down. The kitsune reveled in the idea of finding the miko and stealing her out from right under those idiot's noses. Maybe he'd have some time alone with her to boot. Yoko hadn't felt his proverbial mouth water like this since before they had been roped into becoming spirit detectives.

Yoko Kurama was nearly panting with anticipation.

* * *

Kagome was bouncing. She giggled drunkenly at the sensation.

The first thing that swam into her view was the baggy red sleeves of the fire-rat haori. The miko also soon became aware of the fact that she was slung like a sack of potatoes over someone's shoulder as they ran full-out and their hand, instead of steadying her thighs, was planted firmly on the right globe of her rear end.

"Miroku you hentai!" Kagome snarled as she jabbed her elbow into the hollow just below his head with all the force she could muster. The male carrying her collapsed at the force and Kagome was sent sprawling as he dropped her during their run. The priestess lay dazed on her back as she tried to make sense of her surroundings.

"Shit she's awake. Dose her again!" She heard an unfamiliar voice and fumbling off to her left and see blurry shadows that seemed to be struggling against one another.

"Boss said to only give her the one dose! She's just a human idiot!" The strange voices didn't mean anything to her as she gazed around at the greenery surrounding her, where had Miroku gone? She hadn't hit him hard enough to send him flying had she?

"I don't give a fuck what the boss said. You saw what she was capable of." Kagome rolled onto her stomach with a giggle when she heard the tell-tell thunk that could only be Hirakotsu meeting the letcherous monk's skull.

"I got him already Sango." It was harder than she remembered to use her mouth and her speech was slightly slurred. She tittered regardless as she struggled to her feet and leaned heavily on a tree as her glazed eyes scanned the area. She couldn't see her friends just two fallen oni and another that seemed to be approaching her cautiously with a syringe.

The sight sobered her somewhat.

"Easy." He grunted when she took an uncertain step back. "Just a little poke and back off to dreamland, eh?"

"W-where are my friends?" she took another unsteady step back as the horned demon moved forward cautiously. His voice may have been gentle but she could sense that he did not mean her well, and she was all alone, despite what she had thought she'd heard.

"I-Inuyasha!" She cried as the demon leapt upon her. Her holy powers reacted to her terror and the syringe thumped softly into the grass as only ash surrounded her. The world swam around her and she stumbled drunkenly into another tree.

"Where is everyone?" She whimpered before she jumped at a sudden pulse at her hip. Her unfocused gaze was drawn to Tessaiga as it pulsed again. "Tessaiga? W-where's Inuyasha..." Her drug-clouded mind couldn't make sense of what was happening but the sword pulled impatiently at her hip.

"Ok, I'll follow you." She gripped the sword at her hip, "I trust you." She said, suddenly happy. The drugged miko stumbled noisily through the underbrush as she moved steadily west at the urging of the sword. She laughed and sung gaily as she enjoyed the beauty of the nature that surrounded her.

Kagome's sense of euphoria slowly melted away as she truly took in the unfamiliar types of plants and animals that surrounded her. _Where am I?_ She wondered idly to herself when sense started to return, _how long have I been walking?_ Whatever those strange oni had injected her with she was no longer under it's full influence. _This is definitely not Tokyo, or the feudal era. It almost looks like a rain forest..._

Now that the drugs had worn off she could sense the demonic auras surrounding her. Most seemed to be wildlife and skittered away from her. If she had not already figured out that she was in some strange new world, the blood red sky she glimpsed through the canopy of trees was dead giveaway.

 _I wonder if this is that Makai place Kurama told me about?_ She slipped carefully down an incline as Tessaiga pulled insistently at her hip. She was more careful not to brush carelessly against any of the odd looking leaves once that thought hit her, for Kurama had told her of all the strange, wonderful, and downright dangerous flora of the demon realm.

"Itai!" She hissed as she climbed over a fallen log. The bark had sliced open her palm and the innocuous thing soaked up her blood greedily as it dripped onto the decaying surface. Kagome slipped down the other side hastily and tensed. She expected the thing to spring to life and attack her, but it sat innocently where it lay half-buried in the dirt. The priestess cradled her hand to her chest as she continued on slowly.

A strange chill began to creep up Kagome's spine as the trees thinned around her. She could sense more than a few moderately powerful demonic auras skirting around the edges of her mind, some seemed to be stalking closer to her location and others hung on the edges. Kagome was sure that the blood on her palm was calling them in and fisted her injured palm against the fire-rat to stop the sluggish bleeding.

 _Crap..._ She stumbled out of the treeline as the hungry auras began to converge upon her. She felt the building of youkai behind her and slipped Tessaiga from her obi sheath and all. She jutted it out horozontally before her and the swords barrier crackled to life as a burst of blue fire engulfed her. When the attack faded she could see at least a dozen monstrous lower-class youkai. Some resembled bugs and others serpents, but they all thronged around the one who had sent the attack her way.

He could have passed for a human if he kept his shirt on. His ears were pointed and demonic markings covered his chest and disappeared into his pants. His short hair was as blue as the fire Tessaiga had defended her from and spiked.

If she had been the same fifteen-year old Kagome that had fallen down the well all those years ago his humanoid shape would have given her some hope of talking herself out of this, but her experience with the demons in the feudal era and the bloodthirsty aura that encompassed this group of demons told her that words would be useless.

Two mantis-like youkai broke from the group and rushed her, Kagome gritted her teeth and pulled the sword from its sheath which clattered to her feet as she used both hands to wield the surprisingly heavy katana. She wasn't exactly sure what she was going to do with it until the insectoids were nearly upon her.

' _Please let this work!_ ' Kagome begged as she channeled her holy energies into the Tessaiga. She could have cried with joy as pink flame-like energy flared along the shabby edges of the blade. The priestess felt a primal scream ripped from her throat as she swung the weapon with all her might and the first youkai turned to ash before the actual steel could bite into its hard flesh. Her battle aura flared again and she snarled as the other creature fried itself against her miko light.

 _'I can do this_.' The second mantis wasn't reduced to ash as the first had been, but it was a crispy mess in the grass that didn't look like it was getting up any time soon. While there was a lull she scooped the sheath up and stuck it back through her obi. The other low-class demons screamed with outrage at her display and the remaining ten rushed her. She took a page out of Inuyasha's book and screamed as she released every ounce of power she owned. Several creatures turned to dust before they could reach her, and two more fell prey to the holy Tessaiga.

Unfortunately that still left six opponents. Five of the low-level beasts and the fire-wielder.

The beasts backed away as the humanoid struck and used his claws to rend the unprotected flash on her calf. The priestess panted through clenched teeth as the demon leapt back with a smirk. His hand smoldered where it had reached through her holy power to reach her flesh and he licked the sizzling blood from his talons with a look of pure rapture.

Her calf felt as if it were on fire, but he had done little more than draw blood. Before she could recover the small-fry were upon her once again.

Kagome did her best to hold her own, but her powers were slowly ebbing away. She could not afford to let up even a little, her holy aura was what kept the creatures at bay. Even with the protection of the fire-rat and the added defenses of Tessaiga these demons would tear her apart in the blink of an eye without her miko powers.

At last it was only her and the chuckling fire demon. Kagome's spiritual energy had begun to sputter around her and she took a deep breath as she allowed her power to sink back into her body. Her entire frame trembled with exertion and death gazed back at her from the demon's eyes. After everything she had been through and everything she had accomplished she was going to fall at the hands of this anonymous youkai, who couldn't have held a candle to any of her past opponents.

He was upon her again and his claws skidded over the fire rat and bit into her cheek as she tried to dodge. He herded her backwards and readied his talons for one last blow, she could see victory shimmering in his eyes. She brought the Tessaiga up and his attack glanced off the blade, her now dim energies sizzled against his flesh, his other claw tipped hand came up to finish what the first failed to do.

The blow Kagome had tensed for never came. There was a flash of green light and the demon stood stock still. Kagome jerked away from the demon counting her lucky stars that the claw had stopped inches from her body. She stumbled back and landed heavily on her butt as the demon slowly began to slide apart and a terrifyingly huge aura settled over her like a blanket.

Terror gripped her for only a second before she felt a jolt of familiarity. Kagome tilted her head back and gazed up with wide eyes at her unexpected savior.

"S-Sesshomaru..."

 **A/N**

 **Thanks for all who have been reading!  
**


	8. Chapter 8

The denizens of the Makai had been restless these past two years. Normally such discontent did not bother the great daiyoukai, however, the normal chaos of the demon realm had amplified and spilled over into his land. The upstarts drew Sesshomaru from his estate to tame the mayhem in his territories and keep the peace. The task would not have been so troublesome if a contender had risen to defy him, as it was he'd had no true taste of battle. Each threat had been disposed of without even the necessity of drawing a blade. He itched for the blood of a truly worthy opponent the likes of which he had not seen in centuries.

He remembered the days of the feudal era and the danger that lurked around every corner with a nostalgic air. He had hunted the wretched Naraku relentlessly and had finally been rewarded for his efforts with the hanyou's filthy blood. He had solved his father's quandary and found Rin to protect, the indirect result of which had been the restoration of his left arm and the Bakusaiga. He recalled the trouble his human ward had attracted as a child, such diversions would be a welcome change of pace.

Unfortunately Rin was long since dead, and though he kept an eye on her decedents from a distance his protection was unnecessary in today's world. The result was centuries of what amounted to restlessness and boredom. He had hoped that the latest unrest in his lands would prove to be somewhat of a challenge, and been sorely disappointed.

So, when Tenseiga had demanded his attention after centuries of silence the daiyoukai had been more than willing to put Jaken in charge and heed it's call. Imagine his surprise when the blade of resurrection lead him to a battle between youkai and miko. He observed the odds stacked against the woman with a clinical eye. Humans with spiritual powers were not uncommon, but Sesshomaru had not heard tale of a priestess with purifying abilities for almost one-hundred years. One had to wonder what this onna was doing here of all places.

His eye sharpened as he recognized the youkai in the blade she wielded as the dormant state of Tessaiga. The blade allowed her holy powers to infuse it, and somehow the demonic aura of the blade was not purified. Once the Tessaiga caught his eye the oversized red haori came into focus.

' _No...it couldn't be._ '

* * *

Silver hair was a sharp contrast to the crimson sky as Kagome stared up in disbelief. Golden eyes seemed to glow as he looked down his nose at her. White silk billowed around him and two blades rested at his hip. His fur split into two and decorated each shoulder. Though his face remained largely impassive she doubted an angel could be more beautiful to her in that moment. The breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding rushed out of her as the beautiful golden eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Kagome was too stunned to move from her position on her rear with her elbows holding up her body and her neck craned back to look at the demon lord who suddenly stood directly over her. His form was completely still save for a slight flaring of his nostrils. Did he not remember her? Then again did he even have reason to remember her? They had fought together, sure, but their interactions were fairly limited and everything had happened over five centuries prior. The tall demon lord scrutinized her thoroughly as if not quite trusting what his senses were telling him. She supposed it was a bit surprising to come across a human that should have been dead half a millennia ago.

"Miko." He finally greeted.

The sound of his voice broke something inside Kagome and she pushed herself up. She slowly turned so that she was kneeling face to face with the pale demon and slowly she lifted a trembling hand to touch the base of the armor on his chest. She hiccuped something between a laugh and a sob as she felt that he was real beneath her fingers. Hot wet tears suddenly drenched her face as several barks of laughter slipped out.

"It's really you!" She sob-laughed, "you're here." Her gaze drifted back up to his eyes only to find him gazing down at her with an eyebrow arched and a strange mixture of amusement and concern flitted through his expression.

"Gomen, gomen." She sighed as she wiped her tears with the heel of her hand, "I'm just so _so_ happy to see you, Sesshomaru-sama." No matter how much she scrubbed at her face the tears kept coming. Kagome slowly stood up and his head cocked ever so slightly to the side as he watched her.

Sesshomaru was used to tears and hysterics in his presence, however he was not quite used to such an emotional reception being because of happiness. Said happiness being _because_ of his presence. Truly if this woman was who he thought, of which there was little doubt, such joy was hardly merited. The two had not quite parted as enemies, but the pair had been little more than reluctant allies at their last meeting. The fact that said meeting had been five _hundred_ years ago, and yet here she stood in the prime of her life left the youkai with no little amount of questions.

"I thought everyone was dead." Her voice brought him out of his musings and he noticed that she once again had control of herself though when she looked back up at him she looked like she was on the cusp of breaking into more hysterics.

"What are you doing here?" He asked her, both because he was curious and also to head off the waterworks.

"I'll answer all your questions, I promise Sesshomaru-sama." She looked up at him shyly, "But first...is there somewhere I can clean up?"

* * *

Kagome threw the ruined pajamas into the fire that night. She'd miss them, but what she had not tore to use as makeshift bandages were stained beyond repair with blood and muck. Luckily the fire-rat robes were self-cleaning and repairing so she had something halfway decent to put on after the battle, even though she had to wear the same underwear. A girl couldn't have it all.

After her bath in the freezing-cold river, something she had not missed about her time in the feudal-era, Kagome had explained everything to Sesshomaru while the strange hog-creature he had hunted down roasted over the merrily crackling fire. The daiyoukai was a great listener, not that the fact surprised her. He saved all his questions until her story was complete, and when she had begun shivering during their conversation a heavy warmth settled around her. She grinned up at her unlikely savior from where she practically swam in his white fur.

Kagome curled up in the sinful softness of Sesshomaru's Mokomoko as he reclined against a tree with one knee raised and his left arm resting atop the knee. The fire had died a little but the daiyoukai fed it just enough to keep the chill off the miko's exposed face. The ring of light surrounded by the bruised darkness, as well as the steady cackling of the fire brought forth memories of her time in the past.

"Thank you." She murmured into the fur which twitched as if her breath tickled.

"Your thanks are unnecessary." She had been a valuable ally and his brother had intended to mate her. The fact that the half-breed had perished beforehand did not diminish that fact that the female was pack. As the pack leader it would be dishonorable to do anything less than step in to care for her on his brother's behalf. Duty or not it felt good to be needed again. His hand rested gingerly upon her head while she slept. Nobody had put such complete trust in him or taken such comfort in his presence for centuries.

Not since Rin.

The daiyoukai closed his eyes and let out a contented sigh. His father had been right. He needed something more than power and prestige to give him purpose...he needed something to protect.

* * *

"I didn't sign up to go camping." Grumbled Yusuke as he ducked a branch and crouched next to Kurama. Hiei had gone ahead being the most versed in stealth and speed. They had all sensed Kagome's holy power earlier, though it had been far from their location at the time the alien energies had rippled far in this corrupt land. As they had closed in on her location a tremendous demonic aura had blanketed the same area, and so after discussing it the fire apparition was sent up ahead to scope out the new adversary.

"Wish we _were_ camping, then we could light a fire." Kuwabara shivered on the other side of the avatar. A shadow a few shades darker than the night leapt into the poor excuse for a camp and crouched across from them.

"There's a guard dog." Hiei spat before inclining his head, "Leave the oaf. He'll give away our position."

"Hey you can't just leave me behind!" Kuwabara yelled.

"Just wait here until the signal." Kurama murmured, "It's likely he'll hear you if you come." If the fire apparition had made that comment Kuwabara would have been up in arms, but somehow it sounded logical in the avatars soft voice, so he held his complaints and nodded.

The three snuck slowly through the brush as the stars twinkled in the bruised sky above them. They paused quite a distance away, the subdued fire giving them a good vantage point even at this distance.

 _What is he playing at? Does he not think anyone would come to reclaim Kagome?_ Kurama's eyes scanned the ring of light around the fire in search of the girl before his eyes sharpened as he realized she was tangled in the inu's fur. The human gave over more control to the fox within him. This was Yoko's specialty.

 _ **Start the diversion.**_ Yoko nearly yipped with excitement, he couldn't wait to snatch her right out from under the dog's nose. His tail vibrated with excitement as an absolutely sinful smirk graced his face. Physically he nodded towards Hiei and Yusuke who separated and disappeared into the brush.

The kitsune skirted around behind the dog and hunkered down as close as he dared. He could see the miko clearly from this vantage point as she sighed in her sleep and fisted the fur by hear head with a small smile.

Why was she so relaxed? Yoko narrowed his eyes as he took in the body language of the dog. His eyes were closed but it was obvious he was attentive to the surroundings. Guarding, just as Hiei had said. The inuyoukai's eyes opened and he was suddenly focused on a point across the dark clearing. A soft growl too low for human ears but loud enough to warn off any youkai interlopers met the fox's ears and Yoko's fangs were bared in a feral smile.

The dog took his feet and uncoiled his fir from the priestess who whined in protest and shivered at the loss of heat as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Is it dawn already?" She smothered a yawn before gazing up at the stoic demon lord, she took one look at his tense stance and was on her feet beside him. "What-"

"Stay close." His heavy gaze pinned her in place and she nodded, wishing that she hadn't exerted all her energy in the battle earlier. It had been a long time since she'd felt so vulnerable. Kagome grinned up at the tall demon, if she was going to be helpless there was nobody better to have on her side than Lord Sesshomaru.

She held that belief close to her as all hell broke loose.

 **A/N**

 **Special thanks to heliam11 for inspiring the idea of a pull between tenseiga and tessaiga. Also thanks to all who read and review!  
**


	9. Chapter 9

There were three. Their steps and youkai signatures were light but it was impossible for them to evade Sesshomaru's senses. The strangers split up to surround them and when he felt a presence settle behind himself and his pack-mate he let a warning rumble through his chest. The frequency of the vocalization was too low to wake the human sleeping safely tucked in his fur, but the growl was powerful enough to vibrate through the earth and reach the three intended targets. His eyes narrowed dangerously as the interlopers continued on heedless of his warning.

His eyes cut to the miko sleeping happily in his fur and he slowly unwound the mokomoko from her. He ignored her confused mumbling as the fur righted itself over each shoulder.

"Stay close." His voice rumbled as he drew Bakusaiga and fought a savage grin that threatened to take over his lips. Oh yes, he had nearly forgotten how danger prone this particular mortal was. The enemy broke into the small clearing and Bakusaiga sang with delight as he batted the foe's blade aside. The youkai was small and surprisingly fast. Had his blood been any lesser he would not have been able to keep up. As it was he met each of the lightning fast strikes and rebuffed them easily he made to move forward and press his attack only for the hair to stand on end as he sensed a large wave of spiritual energy speeding towards them. He summoned his whip to hew the large blast in two as he defended his position. The blue light dispersed around them and threw everything into sharp relief.

Fire sang through his veins and the thrill of battle scorched his very core as he parried another flurry of blows from the tiny demon. The third demon surged forward from behind them and made to snatch the miko. Sesshomaru whirled and his blade sliced between the enemy and the female missing both by only a hair's breadth. The stench of Kitsune reached his nose as the white-haired fox danced away and retreated behind the treeline. A furious snarl was ripped from his throat as he turned his attention back to the black-haired demon that continued to heckle him.

He was ashamed to say he did not sense when it had happened, he only knew that one moment Kagome was safely at his back and the next demonic plants had burst to life around him and she was being spirited away. The daiyoukai snapped his jaws shut, but with the removal of the priestess he was able to move from his defensive position. He flashed forward and struck out with his dokasso. His attack hamstrung the enemy but there was no time to finish the demon. Sesshomaru turned and gave chase to the unlucky bastard that had snatched something belonging to him.

* * *

Kagome strained to see into the darkness but what little night vision her human eyes were capable of was ruined by the lowly crackling fire before her. Sesshomaru stood beside her with Bakusaiga at the ready but anything beyond his imposing form was lost to the darkness. She yelped in surprise as sparks exploded around her and she covered her blinded eyes as the ringing of steel on steel echoed throughout the clearing. Bakusaiga crackled with it's immense power and her hair lifted and swirled as Sesshomaru's power buffeted her. Everything within her begged her to flee the daiyoukai, but she locked her trembling knees against the instinct.

The miko tried to make sense of the aura of the strange youkai but it was nearly impossible to feel anything through the behemoth that was Sesshomaru's energy. The daiyoukai's power caressed and flowed within her as if she was inside his very being. She wouldn't dismiss the possibility, not if his energy took up the same space as his true inu form.

More sparks leapt around Kagome and she caught a shadow of their attacker barely discernible against the black of the night. There was a pause where the attacker must have leapt back but the reprieve only lasted a heartbeat. Soon Sesshomaru had to repel another series of attacks immediately followed by a third and fourth barrage. The movements themselves were hidden in the dark, though she doubted she could keep up with the lightning quick movements even in the bright of day. Only the bright flashes and continuous thunder of the clashing swords marked how vicious the assault truly was.

Worry began to build in her chest. For the enemy to still be bearing down upon them must mean that he was a cut above the rest otherwise Sesshomaru would have ended the battle in one fell stroke.

Kagome felt a scream lodge in her throat as the neon green of Sesshomaru's acid whip whirled around her and dispersed a bright blue projectile that had flown from her left. The acrid tang of the daiyoukai's poison hung heavy in the air as she cast about to try and catch a glimpse of the second attacker. It was useless. Her senses were overwhelmed with the power the daiyoukai expended defending her, and her eyes were blinded by the fire and the bright clash of blades.

With her heart in her throat and chest burning with frustration Kagome tried to keep herself small and unnoticeable. She trusted Sesshomaru's power and abilities implicitly. She had seen both in action and even been on the receiving end a time or two however, she could not stand the thought that she would somehow distract the large inu at a crucial point in the battle.

Her vision was suddenly filled with white and she blinked up at the daiyoukai that had slashed the air just above her head. A savage snarl cut through the air and vibrated the ground itself.

As soon as the priestess could think over the staccato of her heart she realized that one of the assailants had likely tried to make a grab for her and felt like a fool for not realizing sooner. These demons were after her, specifically. _Of course they're after you baka! Who in their right mind would challenge Lord Sesshomaru without good cause?_ These new youkai had to be in league with the ones that had kidnapped and brought her here to begin with, why else would they try so hard to go after her? Surely normal youkai would have assumed she was Sesshomaru's prey...

Kagome flinched as several small somethings landed on and around her. _Oh god please don't let Sesshomaru have gotten youkai parts on me..._ She hurriedly brushed the items off and picked one out of her hair. _A...A seed?_ She squinted at it in the darkness before the shell of the seed exploded open and she cried out as a large green plant stuck itself to her hand. Even while long vines wrapped around her she noticed several of the same plants growing impossibly fast and large between Sesshomaru and herself. They pushed the pair apart while the inu was preoccupied with his battle.

 _They're trying to separate us!_ Kagome tried to cry a warning to her companion but strong arms scooped her up before her voice could form. Her stomach lurched as the sounds of battle and flash of steel faded into the distance. The plant that had begun to constrict her had fallen away as soon as her abductor had her in his grasp. With the campfire far away her night vision was improved and at the first sight of silver hair cascading around her she almost relaxed, but that was before her gaze locked with the golden eyes that did _not_ belong to Sesshomaru.

"Let me go!" She struggled in the youkai's grasp only to have a fanged smirk answer her. She gulped at the spark she saw in his eye.

"Now, now aren't you glad to see me?" His voice was liquid sin and the hair on the back of her neck stood up as he buried his nose into her neck and inhaled deeply. "It's been so long since I've had a helpless damsel at my mercy."

"H-hentai!" She screamed as she jabbed her elbow into the stranger's chest with all her might. She may as well have attacked a brick wall for all the good it did her. Her kidnapper leapt off the path suddenly and Sesshomaru streaked through the spot they had just vacated. The sun was rising now and in the pre-dawn light she could make out the daiyoukai keeping a parallel pace. He looked as unruffled as ever as he sheathed Bakusaiga and cracked the knuckles on his right hand in a very Inuyasha-esque fashion.

Kagome's eyes caught blood on the claws of his left hand and any questions she had about what had happened to the other opponent were instantly answered. Her captor leapt nimbly to the side. Kagome squeaked as the inu's claws whistled past and sheered some of the strange youkai's long white hair. The inu kept pace, hardly more than an arms length between himself and the interloper at any given time in this merry game of chase. It was when she saw a canyon up ahead that Kagome was struck by an idea.

The priestess caught Sesshomaru's eye behind the pervert and the daiyoukai inclined his head. He knew she was planning something hopefully he would be ready. Kagome waited until Yoko had kicked off from the edge of the canyon before she gathered what little power she could and flared her aura. Though pain ripped through her body at the forced use of her diminished power it had the desired effect. The abductor hissed in a breath and dropped her only for Sesshomaru to swoop underneath and catch her before she could fall to her doom. The inu's youkai cloud formed under his feet and he let Kagome slide from his grip to stand in the springy substance. The priestess gripped his Mokomoko as the world tipped and swayed and she panted as if she had run a marathon.

"It will give this Sesshomaru great pleasure to rend the flesh from your bones, fox." He bared his fangs with anticipation as his dokkaso began to drip from his claws. The priestess felt the rumble of his voice from where she rested against his fur.

"Hey!" Kagome's head snapped up and she looked over to the familiar voice that was stumbling through the brush behind and below them. "What the hell why'd you burn Kurama?"

"Kuwabara?" Kagome squinted down at the figure. "What are you talking about? How did you find me? Is everyone else here too?" Her grip on Mokomoko tightened as she took a breath against the dizziness. She felt Sesshomaru pause in whatever action he had been about to perform as he listened to her conversation. Did the miko know these demons?

"What do you mean is everyone else here they went to rescue you from that demon you're hanging onto!" The young man's voice was rough with annoyance and Kagome's head swam with the implications of his statement.

"You mean it was you guys that attacked us?" Her brow furrowed as she looked up at the stilled daiyoukai as questions chased each other through her mind. "Sesshomaru-sama can we go down and talk to him? He's a friend..." The inu glared at the fox that seemed content to stay on the other side of the canyon before his fierce eyes turned to the miko's pleading gaze. With a slight softening of his features he acquiesced. The cloud dissipated like dust on the wind once solid ground was beneath their feet once again.

"Isn't he part of that group that kidnapped you?" Kuwabara kept a weary eye on the stranger in their midst.

"Sesshomaru-sama is an old friend, from my days in the feudal era." She resisted the urge to look over her shoulder to check the dog demon's reaction to being lumped into her the 'friends' category. She'd been sleeping on him and he rescued her just now, so whatever they may have been in the past they were definitely friends now. The bushes on either side of Kuwabara rustled and Yusuke and Hiei came out of the foliage. The fire apparition stepped gingerly on a bloody leg and Kagome flushed with guilt, that would be the second wound the short demon had taken for her.

"Oh no! Hiei..." Her eyes filled with guilty tears but she swallowed them back as she released her death grip on Sesshomaru to face the trio before her. "I'm sorry..."

"Wanna tell me what the hell is going on here?" Yusuke growled, "I had to flake on a date with Keiko to rescue your ass."

Kagome looked to Sesshomaru who was doing an amazing impression of a statue. If a statue could be fierce and beautiful all at once. He was going to be absolutely no help with explaining.

"I...guess we had a misunderstanding? I couldn't tell it was you guys." She looked down with her cheeks blazing.

"Are you ready to go, then?" The breath of her previous captor ghosted across her ear and she stumbled away to hide on the other side of her statuesque ally.

"I'm not going anywhere with you, you pervert!" She snarled as she pointed an accusing finger at the silver-haired fox. Now that the sun was up she could see that he had a tail to go along with those ears. "Who the heck is that guy?"

"It's Kurama." Yusuke deadpanned.

"No way is that sicko Kurama, Kurama is a damn gentleman not some-" She interrupted herself, she had been about to say 'not some wannabe sex god' but thankfully caught herself "-not some weirdo." Her face flamed as red as a tomato at her almost slip up and the fox's fang caught on his lower lip as he grinned sensually at her.

" _Yoko_ Kurama at your service." The kitsune offered her a bow before his eyes caught Sesshomaru's with challenge. "I'm sure the great _Lord_ Sesshomaru has heard of me."

A deep rumble from the Inu's chest and a baring of a fang was all the reply the fox got.

"Don't be jealous, Poochy, when I wear the woman out I'll have plenty of energy left to play with you." Yoko winked at the daiyoukai who, to his credit, did an amazing job ignoring the insinuation.

 _He really is a perv!_ Kagome wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or impressed at his audacity. The heat in her face told her that she had to be at least as red as the Haori she wore. _He and Miroku would have been best friends!_

"If you wish to lay with the miko so badly This Sesshomaru will ensure your fur decorates her bed." The barest hint of a growl laced the inu's voice and he took a half a step towards the fox.

"Whoa, easy there buddy!" Kuwabara blanched as the full weight of the daiyoukai's gaze landed on him. "We're just here to take Kagome back to the human world. No need for death threats." The carrot top turned to the miko in question, "C'mon we can call Boton to open us a portal back to the human realm."

The priestess looked between the four spirit detectives that had come to rescue her and the only tie she had left to her past and realized she had a decision to make.

 **A/N**

 **This chapter was super fun to write I only hope I didn't get carried away. Thanks as always for reading and reviewing I'm super glad you're all enjoying it so much.  
**


	10. Chapter 10

The expectant looks of the spirit detectives had a nervous sweat breaking out on the back of Kagome's neck. It really should not feel like she was making a huge decision right now.

"About that..." The priestess looked between the group and her old ally before she took a steadying breath, "Sesshomaru-sama would it be ok if I stayed with you for awhile longer?" Said demon regarded her for a few heartbeats before turning his eyes back to their original position.

"Do as you please." He monotoned.

"Absolutely not." Yusuke snarled, "after all the shit we went through to get here you're coming back to the human realm with us." He gestured to Hiei who's wound had finally stopped bleeding, and even though Kagome felt guilt tug at her heart there was nothing she could do for the small demon. Her energy was shot.

"Look if I go back to the human realm whoever is after me is just going to keep sending those demons and putting innocent people at risk." She caught the black-haired youth's eyes and bore into them. "I'm not leaving until I figure out what they want from me." A few beats of silence stretched between them but Kagome knew that the argument was far from over.

"Human's aren't permitted in the makai!" Yusuke tried again, "even if it was allowed it's way too dangerous you'll end up as a snack or worse."

"Sesshomaru-sama would never let anything bad happen to me." She retorted as indignant rage welled up inside her. "Besides, I'm not exactly helpless y'know." _At least not anymore..._

"That's another thing. You've sure got a lot of faith in a guy who hasn't seen you for five hundred goddamn years." He persisted. "I find it kind of strange he even remembers a single human at all. How do you know he's not the one who sent those assholes after you?"

Kagome felt her face flush as rage flooded her system at his accusation and tasted blood as she bit her tongue on the first thing that came to mind. She could not 'sit' the detective, afterall, but she sure as hell wished she had a subjugation necklace right now. Instead of giving into the white-hot anger the miko took a calming breath before she said something she would regret later. She was not fifteen anymore. "You don't know what you're talking about." She said with finality. "I'm staying with lord Sesshomaru."

* * *

Yoko was irritated. While that may not have been a particularly new experience the fact that said annoyance could not be easily disposed of was a very new concept. He eyed the stoic inu out of the corner of his eye before allowing his gaze to drift to the human who traveled on the other side of the demon. He was rewarded with a low growl of warning for his efforts and smirked as he returned his eyes forward.

 _ **How did she earn the protection of**_ **the** _ **lord Sesshomaru I wonder?**_ Yoko mused to himself.

 _You know him?_ Shuichi asked.

 _ **Only by reputation... He never really kept anything worth stealing.**_ The fox let his attention waver as he glanced back at the sullen-looking Hiei. The priestess had kept sending the fire apparition concerned looks until a heated glare from the smaller demon put an end to that in short order. Yusuke and Kuwabara had gone with Boton to report to Koenma. Yoko was sure that the toddler was taking the news of Kagome's refusal to return splendidly.

The going was dreadfully slow, though not surprising considering they had a human in their midst. The damn dog didn't seem to mind the slow, quiet, boring pace but Yoko sure as hell did. Unfortunately every time he had tried to sidle up to the miko to try and pass the time the dog had warned him off, he'd minded his manners and stayed back so far but the beast couldn't keep him away indefinitely. Trying to get near the female would prove a lovely distraction from the tedium of traveling.

"I wonder what your family will say when Kuwabara informs them of your departure." Yoko said casually as his eyes slid back to the miko. She glanced at him and shrugged, much too relaxed about the whole ordeal considering she had been attacked and kidnapped by demons less than forty-eight hours ago.

"They'll understand. It's not like I'm 500 years in the past this time." She seemed about to say something else but thought better of it and let silence rule once more. The fox frowned. He had really hoped to stir her ire and perhaps start an argument.

"You never did elaborate on that adventure." He tried again.

"Nope." She agreed mildly, _and i'm not gonna_ seemed to be added silently to the statement.

* * *

The fire crackled in the center of the camp and Kagome watched as the light danced over the faces of her two companions. Hiei had disappeared sometime during the day of travel. She supposed the pace was slow going for demons but she really couldn't bring herself to ask lord Sesshomaru if she could fly with him, nor did Kagome have the courage to cling to his back as she would have Inuyasha. She knew the big inu would not hurt her despite, or perhaps because of their past, but asking him to lower himself in that fashion put a bad taste in her mouth.

The fact that he allowed her to sleep in his fur she could only chalk up to necessity. It would dishonor him to let her freeze to death or catch a cold.

"Where are we headed anyway?" Kagome asked of Sesshomaru from the folds of his pelt that night. Yoko let out a scoff at her question and she stuck her tongue out at the fox.

"Careful, I might put that tongue to use." He quipped.

"This Sesshomaru has matters to attend in his lands." The statement was delivered evenly enough but Kagome brightened as if he'd given her the best news in the world.

"Really? We're going to see your home?" She asked hopefully as she sat up in the mokomoko. The fur twitched at her sudden movement and the side of the daiyoukai's lip quirked at her innocent exuberance as he gave a slight incline of his head.

"Sleep, miko." He rumbled as she wiggled around in his fur.

"I'm too excited to sleep now." She practically vibrated with energy.

"Oh? You need some wearing out?" Yoko piped up from the other side of the campfire. "Come on over I promise keep you warm afterwards." She could hear the wink in his voice.

"Geeze I'm going to start calling you Miroku if you don't stop." She huffed before becoming uncharacteristically quiet. She felt a familiar pang in her chest as she thought of the monk and Sango by proxy. The pair were long dead now and lost to her so long as the well refused to work. Everyone was lost to her. As she noticed a patch of twitching fur she seized it and hugged it tightly to her chest as she buried her face in the warm appendage. _Not everyone_. She had to remind herself as she slowly drifted off to seep.

* * *

 _Her breath wheezed out of her lungs as she pulled herself up to the discarded Tessaiga. Sesshomaru and the possessed Inuyasha battled below her. Kagome winced with disgust as Naraku's insides squished under her hands and seemed to undulate excitedly underneath her touch._

 _She was falling now. Tessaiga was safely with Inuyasha and she could feel a smile on her lips as she watched sanity return to his eyes. Instead of landing on the spongy insides of the spider strong arms wrapped around her and held her to a hard masculine body._

 _"Do you know my wish, Kagome?" The voice sent chills over her skin, it may have been an attractive baritone if she didn't know to whom it belonged. She struggled against his body and earned a chuckle for her efforts."You'll know my wish soon, lovely Kagome." He purred into her ear before his teeth nipped at the side of her neck. She tried to pull on her holy powers but no matter how much energy she delivered to the spider's form his grip would not loose.  
_

 _He directed her gaze up to where the inu brothers battled and her blood froze as the muscles and innards surrounding the pair rose up to envelop them. "No!" She gasped as despair overwhelmed her.  
_

 _"Don't mourn them..." His cool lips brushed over her collarbone as his hands strayed to forbidden places. "They shall forever be a part of me." One hand splayed across her flat stomach as he melded her back against himself. "And you shall_ always _be_ mine _."_

Kagome gasped desperately as her wordless cry of despair echoed around the clearing. Her sides heaved as she fought the panic and revulsion that lingered from her dream. She rubbed her face with the sleeve of the fire-rate and tried to get her breathing under control. It was just another nightmare. He wasn't here. It was impossible for him to be here. She shrank in embarrassment as she looked up to the narrow golden gaze of Sesshomaru and realized she had probably disturbed the whole camp.

Kagome was nearly paralyzed with mortification as she also realized she had soiled Sesshomaru's pelt with the sweat of her nightmare, and it wasn't like she could throw it in the laundry downstairs as she would her sheets. That probably explained the death-glare she had woken up to.

"G-gomen." She said softly as she started to stand. A part of the fur looped around her wrist and tugged her back down into the safety of it's coils.

"Rest." Sesshomaru ordered. Kagome would have loved to obey the order, however a rather pressing need had made itself known now that she was awake and so she shifted uncomfortably for a few minutes before the hard stare of the daiyoukai found her again and her already pink face reddened further.

"Ano...I have to go." The miko received a blank look and she widened her eyes. "y'know... _go_." She wiggled a little to get her point across. The daiyoukai raised an eyebrow and she flushed red as a tomato as she picked her way out of the mokomoko.

"Don't wander far." He warned her retreating back.

Traveling with youkai one got used to compromising on their privacy. She was sure that the demons in the camp could clearly hear her passing water despite the space she had put between them. There were pros and cons to having canine youkai as companions. One of the cons was they could hear and smell things about humans that said humans had no idea about. She grimaced at her underwear as she stood up and decided to kick them off, they were filthy and would start to stink soon.

Really she would have preferred to keep something covering her rear, especially with that raging perv Yoko around, but she could not stand the way the sweat-soaked things clung to her.

"I'm going to the stream." Kagome announced to seemingly nobody, but she knew that Sesshomaru at least could hear her. Inuyasha always could at this distance and it would be an insult to think the daiyoukai would be less capable. As the miko washed the sweat from her skin and ignored her own shivering as she admired the forest around her and the stars above. A nostalgic sigh escaped her lips as she realized it really wasn't so different from the feudal era here.

Kagome's fingers froze halfway through tying her obi and the miko stood stock still as she stretched out her senses. The miko felt it again, barely a brush against her mind and obviously still far off. Something about the demonic aura unsettled her and she backed hastily away from it and stumbled back to camp with her heart pounding and legs as weak as a fawns.

The miko practically dove into Sesshomaru's fur where she shivered with more than just cold. The fact that her demon companions were unperturbed told her that she was overreacting. Kagome couldn't bring herself to care about that, though because...

because that aura had felt much too like Naraku's for her to dismiss it.

 **A/N**

 **As always thank you for reading and reviewing you really have no idea how much you inspire me and make me think about what I'm writing with your questions and comments.**


	11. Chapter 11

Though the fur surrounding Kagome was plush, warm, and softer than any silk, still sleep eluded her. She could feel Sesshomaru's disproving gaze burning a hole through the curtain of her hair as she shivered within the protection of the mokomoko. Soon the soothing aura of the inu brought rationality back to her mind and her trembling eased somewhat.

 _You're being ridiculous... Yoko may not recognize the aura but Sesshomaru would not be so calm if he'd caught even a whiff of Naraku._ She ran her hand absently over the fur that twitched under her hands. _There's no way he's still alive. I was just freaked from that nightmare._

Though she tried to reassure herself she had to bite her tongue to keep from asking the daiyoukai about whether or not he had sensed anything several times. He would only find it insulting that she did not trust his instincts, indeed already he looked a little insulted by her persistent anxiety. A few beats of silence ensued.

"Must have been some nightmare." Yoko commented offhandedly from where he reclined on his side across the low flames of the fire. He wrinkled his nose, "I can literally taste your terror." Kagome sunk further into her makeshift bed as two demanding sets of golden eyes locked onto her and she took a shivering breath to steady her nerves before she began.

"It was Naraku." Had her audience been human perhaps they would have missed her words as softly as she had spoken, as it was, mokomoko tightened slightly and Sesshomaru's accusing glare melted just a bit. "We were inside him, again... you were fighting Magatsuhi." Kagome's other hand drifted to Tessaiga, "I just returned Tessaiga to..." She swallowed, "But instead of how-how it really happened Naraku caught me. I could _feel_ him." She choked back bile and was unable to continue for a moment. "He taunted me as he absorbed you and Inuyasha...He always kills Inuyasha." She let the silence stretch between them.

"You have these nightmares often?" Yoko's voice broke the peace. His eyes held an ethereal shine as the light of the fire danced across his face and threw his features into sharp relief.

"Recently...almost every night." Her voice was a choked whisper, "But never so real, and...and I thought I felt him when I was washing up." The mokomoko vibrated with Sesshomaru's low growl and she cringed as the fur raised like the hackles on an dog.

"Impossible." His voice rumbled in his chest as he spoke, "there is no threat near. Rest, miko." The fur wrapped her securely in its embrace. "We will fly the remaining distance at dawn." Sesshomaru's declaration relaxed her more than she would have thought possible and she closed her eyes gratefully.

"Never thought I'd see the great lord Sesshomaru coddling anyone." Yoko jibed as Kagome's soft breathing once again filled their makeshift camp. He smirked as he was rewarded with a soft rumble and a baring of fang. "Much less a human woman." The fox stretched out in the grass and bared some fang of his own at the stars fading into the pre-dawn sky.

Perhaps it wouldn't rankle so badly if the girl had shown a bit of inclination towards himself, but so far she had evaded him and cowered away at every turn. He held in the irritated noise as his eyes drifted back to the woman, there was no way she was immune to his charms. He'd have her infatuated and bedded by the end of this journey, no matter how many guard dogs stood in the way.

* * *

"Oh wow!" Kagome gasped as what could only be described as a castle town slowly came into view from over the horizon. "I never thought I'd be able to see a demon city." The miko practically vibrated with excitement from where she clung to his mokomoko. Sesshomaru ignored her but his gaze narrowed at something her eyes could not yet pick up.

"I never thought I'd see anything so scrumptious." Yoko commented from where he ran beneath them. He wondered how long the young woman had been going without underwear for, and if he was loosing his touch having not noticed her bereft condition sooner. Lucky for the fox Kagome could not hear his low-spoken observation from where she clung to the inu in the sky, and the dog himself seemed intent on ignoring him.

As the pair drew nearer to the town the miko covered her mouth in horror at the sight.

The westernmost edge of the town was blackened and the houses torn asunder. They passed directly over the damage on the way to the Japanese-style castle. The courtyard filled with bustling bodies as the inu descended with the now nervous miko. This had to be just a coincidence, there was no way that Naraku was here... even if the wanton destruction did strike a terrifyingly familiar chord.

"My lord!" A nasally voice grated against the inu's ears and soured his mood further. "My lord we've had an incident!"

"Jaken. Have a room prepared in the family wing." Sesshomaru ordered and as the imp looked up in surprise his eyes nearly fell out of their sockets as he caught sight of Kagome.

"A human!" He squealed with surprise and no little fear. "But m'lord -" A sharp look from the daiyoukai promptly silenced any protests from the imp as well as the nervous murmurs of the audience.

"Have the room and a handmaiden made ready. Then we will speak." He strode forward and paused as he realized the miko was no longer attached to his fur. He glanced over his shoulder and saw her hesitating under the scrutiny of the servants. "Come." He bade and continued when she complied.

The daiyoukai lead her through the private gardens and to the bathhouse reserved mostly for himself, though it was meant to service his pack. He did not spare her his attention and so her uncharacteristically reserved demeanor did not meet his notice.

"Clothes will be brought you and you will be lead to your rooms." He managed in clipped tones as he let her thanks roll off of his stiff back. He ignored his scribe who bowed as he passed and entered the quiet space. His favorite brew of tea was waiting on his desk; it was a shame the drink would go untouched.

Jaken was cringing before he even properly entered the office and nearly died of fright as his lords golden orbs pinned him to the wall. The long-time retainer prostrated himself and tried to keep the quiver out of his voice.

"T-thirty dead milord, including the blacksmith Hikken." The room vibrated with the low rumble emanating from his lord. Hikken had been the late Totosai's son, and the daiyoukai had valued him and his work greatly. "The attack came two nights ago at dusk. A horde of low-class demons swarmed forth and broke against the outer wall, while the guardsmen were distracted several dozen higher class youkai penetrated our defenses. They were repelled quickly, milord but not quickly enough." The imp trembled before his lord, for his silence was sometimes more thunderous than his growls.

Sesshomaru's golden gaze narrowed as Jaken continued his report, his mind could not help but go to what the miko had said about sensing Naraku the night prior, this attack definitely reflected the spider hanyou's tactics.

"What have the trackers to report?" The choked squeak that reached the inu's ears did not bode well for the topic.

"Several scouts were sent out immediately after the attack, milord. None have returned." The imp managed not to stutter.

Sesshomaru had been planning on assisting the miko on her next quest, but this threat to his lands could not go unpunished. He caught a frustrated growl before it could rumble in his throat. He hated bringing that creature into his domain, and he hated more trusting the miko's safety to the lowly thief. He was the only companion left to her, however, and much as the dog hated it the fox's power would be sufficient.

"There is a silver kitsune outside the city. Bring him."

* * *

Kagome slid into the hot water with a relieved sigh. She'd only been here maybe a half-hour and she already knew something was terribly amiss. She hadn't seen Sesshomaru so icy since she'd first met him in the feudal era and he was still fighting with Inuyasha. Kagome had seen the extent of the town's damage and while it wasn't the largest area of destruction she had witnessed she also knew there was no way whoever had been caught up in the attack had survived it.

Destruction and desolation were not new to Kagome, she had buried countless villages during her quest to destroy the Shikon, each more ravaged than the last as the journey had continued on. What did it mean this time? Surely nobody in their right mind would pick a fight by attacking the town under lord Sesshomaru's protection.

Kagome followed the servant that had brought her kimono from the bathhouse with the folded fire-rat haori held tightly to her chest. She could feel the shit hitting the fan as Sesshomarus barely controlled youkai spilled out from somewhere within his palace. Apparently the news was worse than she initially thought with the rage and frustration she could feel pulsing through his aura.

Her mind trailed once again to the dream she'd had and the aura she had sensed near the river. She knew she had not been imagining things, and this attack that rankled of Naraku didn't help to ease her mind.

She stepped into her room and closed the sliding door behind her and fell gratefully into the soft bed. Sleeping in Sesshomaru's mokmoko was better than a sleeping bag, but nothing beat a real bed after a hot bath.

She was asleep before she hit the pillow.

* * *

 _ **Cushy.**_ Yoko thought to Shuichi as he was lead through the palace towards the darkly pulsating youkai of the irritated inu. _**May have to come back and snoop through the treasury when we're done with spirit detective work**_. The fox fought to keep a grin off of his face as he imagined robbing the place blind and evading the powerful dog. Though he would be just as satisfied spiriting the miko away for some quality alone time.

"I hear you've some use for me?" The kitsune resisted antagonizing the pooch further, he did _like_ his head attached after all, and he could feel the turbulence in the youkai's aura from the outside of the town. The figure of the inu would have been imposing if Yoko did not have at least five-inches on him, not including his ears. The dog did not look up from what he was writing on the desk as he spoke.

"You will be accompanying the miko, alone." The daiyoukai said as he sealed the parchment he had been writing and stood from behind the desk. "You will allow no harm to come to her." The inu brought his face close and allowed the slightest rumble of a growl to permeate his next words, "you will not touch her in an any way she deems unfit, or there will not be enough left of you to fill another human vessel."

"So fierce." He purred, "One would think you wanted her maidenhead for yourself." The thought caused a flash of something tight and unpleasant in his gut but he did not dwell on the feeling. The fox did not expect an answer from the daiyoukai and he certainly did not expect the dog's savage reaction. Sesshomaru's claws dug deeply into the flesh at either side of his throat and he was pushed back against the wall with a loud thump as the inu lifted him from his feet.

"You will not touch her." He reiterated with a terrifyingly cold expression. "This Sesshomaru will find you when his business is finished." Yoko was then dropped unceremoniously back to the ground and rubbed his bleeding throat as he bared his fangs at the dog's back while cold fury settled into his chest. That sounded like the dog had issued him a challenge. His baring of fangs turned into a feral grin.

There was nothing Yoko enjoyed more than a challenge.

 **A/N**

 **Thank you to everyone who has been following this story so far and I hope you continue to enjoy it!**


	12. Chapter 12

"You're not coming?" Kagome tried to keep the anxiety and disappointment out of her voice as she looked up at the imposing figure of Sesshomaru. Still, the little miko looked as though someone had just kicked her puppy, or her demonic dog as the case may be.

"This Sesshomaru must first see to the safety of his people." The daiyoukai ran the knuckles of his right hand gently over her cheek."The kitsune will see to your safety in This One's absence." The gesture may have given her the wrong idea if she did not already know Sesshomaru. He may have mellowed over the last half of a millenia, but there was no way he would fall for his half-brother's almost-mate. His _human_ almost-mate.

She thought, perhaps, the daiyoukai had been just as lonely as she had.

Kagome nodded and her fingers tightened on the white oak of the bow she had picked from the castle armory. The familiar feel of the weapon helped her to remind herself that she was not a helpless and weak high-school girl anymore. The daiyoukai had also had her own fire-rat garments fashioned in the style of miko garb. Inuyasha's Haori was folded in her other gift, a satchel. Tessaiga rested docilely on her hip.

She was far from helpless, and she wouldn't be alone, not really, but damn would she miss Sesshomaru's reassuring presence.

"I understand Sesshomaru-sama." Kagome said in what she hoped was a brave voice. She offered him a bow before forcing herself to turn away from him. This was her battle, this had always been her battle. The last time she hid behind others instead of facing her own fight Inuyasha had lost his life. The priestess doubted that any force on heaven or earth could harm the daiyoukai. Still, she took comfort from the fact that she was strong enough now to prevent a repeat of that incident.

Yoko's elegant silver form stood outside the gates to the city, as apparently he was unwelcome within it's walls. Kagome missed the arrogant smirk he shot over her head at Sesshomaru as well as the returning flash of ivory fang when she closed her eyes against the lump in her throat. She promised herself she would do whatever she could to keep her old and new allies safe. Kagome might not have known that Sesshomaru had lived to her time, but now that she did the thought of a world without him was a bleak one indeed.

It felt as if she was walking the gallows towards her death. If the perpetrator of these crimes was who she suspected it was unlikely that she would live through the encounter. Nevertheless, she could not let this be her last goodbye. If it was Naraku she would triumph again, and she would ensure the spider never crawled out of his grave again. The alternative was not acceptable.

The dark thoughts that chased one another through her mind did not leave room for her to contemplate how she was going to survive the journey alone with an obvious pervert. At least she had undergarments now, though.

* * *

The land of the Makai was lush and green, at least what she had seen of it so far had been such. Most of it resembled forests of strange plants and trees and plains with wonderful rolling hills, though she had no doubt that there were many more ecosystems to be had in the demon realm. She used her musings of the landscape to keep from thinking of the fact that she was now traveling alone with Yoko.

So far the fox had not caused any real trouble, in fact the pair had not exchanged any words since departing the City of the West almost an hour prior. The miko knew that she should be talking to him and trying to figure out where they should both go from here, but every time she tried to bring herself to do it she'd catch his predatory gaze and her voice would freeze in her throat.

She took the time to assess the kitsune from the corner of her eye. He was a delicous serving of man-meat, and the ears on top of his head caused her heart to sing with nostalgia. She wondered if they were as soft as Inuyasha's had been.

The kitsune made no comment on her behavior, but from the way his grin became impossibly wider every time she caught sight of him she knew he was aware of at least some of the internal struggle within the priestess. For a long time the only sound was the crunching of their feet over the makeshift path they followed.

"You're awfully quiet." Yoko stated from behind the priestess, much closer than she was comfortable with. It wasn't that she disliked the silver alter-ego of Shuichi, but he did tend to create tension between them. She really wished Sesshomaru had not left her to the fox's mercy.

"I don't want to draw unnecessary attention." Her voice was mild, ' _not when we don't have Sesshomaru with us.'_ Practically hung in the air between them and Yoko did not appreciate her lack of faith in him.

"You don't have to be afraid." His voice purred into her ear and she suddenly had two bands of steel around her stomach and was pressed firmly against a hard chest. She found her peripherals blinded by white hair and her heart ached forlornly as she thought of another pair of strong arms around her, but Yoko was not Inuyasha, and she shouldn't insult him by comparing the two.

"Yoko! Please!" She choked as her heart hammered in her chest and she twisted her tomato-red face to glare heatedly into his dancing golden eyes. "Haven't you heard of personal space?"

"I have indeed." His sharp canines flashed in a playful smirk as he brought his nose close to the crook of her neck, "Where would you like this personal space to be made?" She made a choked noise in the back of her throat as the kitsune's breath ghosted across her neck and he leaned forward further so that his warm cheek was flush against her own heated one. "You're so shy, little priestess."

"Must you do that now?" A bored voice cut in. The priestess lost no time in extracting herself from the distracted kitsune's grasp.

"Hiei!" Kagome could have cried with relief as she gladly put the dark apparition between herself and the predator that had allowed her to escape. "I'm so glad to see you." She practically whimpered.

"Do you have to ruin my fun?" Pouted the fox who towered over them both, "I wasn't going to do anything she wouldn't have liked." He chuckled at the almost exasperated look the short demon shot his way. _**She certainly makes the most surprising friends.**_ He thought to himself, "That dog did a number on you if you've been hibernating all this time."

"His poison is very potent." Hiei said in way of explanation, "I've also found us a lead." He continued before Kagome's guilty look could form into words of apology.

"Not just lazing around then?" Yoko teased good-naturedly. He did not miss the way that the miko kept the fire apparition between them at all times. Such a skittish little creature she was, but perhaps he had been a _little_ forward. It might be time for a change of tactic.

"A half demon has been recruiting a large amount of foot-soldiers near the wastes on the outskirts of the Tourin territory." Kagome could feel her insides quiver a little as she took in one piece of information over the others.

 _A half demon. Could it actually be him? How would it be possible? I purified him and the jewel together..._ The miko swallowed hard and forced a smile on her face, "well what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"Stupid girl." Hiei snapped, "You don't march headfirst into enemy territory any more than you turn your back on them."

"I never said I was going to!" Kagome crossed her arms defensively, because really she had just thought about rushing in Inuyasha style.

"It's not like you can hide. Every demon in a mile radius can sense you." Yoko added. "It's not something you can help. Your scent and aura give you away. I assume that half the reason that dog kept you covered in his own scent was to hide you somewhat."

 _Sesshomaru kept me covered in his scent? Well I suppose Mokomoko would smell like him and I practically lived in it while we traveled_. Her heart warmed as she realized just how many ways the inu had been protecting her without her even knowing. Understanding and insight flashed through her and her attention snapped to the fox.

"Is that what you were doing?" She asked, "T-trying to put your scent on me?" Kagome felt a bit of guilt at her first assumption worm its way in.

"No trying about it." The roguish grin he sent her dashed that little guilt-worm into tiny microscopic pieces. Damn fox had known exactly what he was doing.

"What does that mean?" Kagome tried to ignore the heat that threatened her cheeks at the mischievous look she was getting from Yoko.

"It means you smell like a fox." Hiei cut in. "It's not a bad thing." He continued when she looked like she might protest, loudly.

"Now if only we could hide the fact that you're human, hm? We might get a foot in the door." The fox mused. Hiei lead them through the forest before Kagome even realized they were traveling again, and only the sounds of their footfalls could be heard for a time.

"That should be easy enough. If I already smell like a fox you just need to do an illusion to make me look like one, right?" When nobody said anything Kagome huffed, "I mean you're a kitsune, isn't that what you do?"

"Red kitsune. Not silver." Yoko supplied, looking almost affronted by her assumption. Her face flushed with irritation, he better not be implying that he thought red foxes beneath him.

"So they figure out I'm human, so what?" she snapped. "We'll get to the boss all the sooner if they know who I am, right?"

"Foolish girl." Grunted Hiei.

"Maybe." Kagome agreed waspishly, "but it'll work."

"Absolutely not. You have no idea what this creature even wants with you." Yoko barely managed to keep his growl out of his voice.

"Exactly." The miko rounded on the fox, "what better way than to ask them directly." And what better way to find out once and for all if this really was Naraku they were dealing with. _I don't want this to be another Shikon quest, I don't want years of my life to be stolen away chasing rumors and shadows. This needs to come to a head sooner rather than later._

"You can help me or you can go. But you won't stop me." Kagome caught Yoko's heated eyes and pinned him with a glare that usually preludes a 'sit.' The fox did not have the good sense to back down.

"Won't I?" He sneered, "You think I'll let you serve yourself up on a silver platter?"

His statement brought Kagome up short, was he worried about her? She had enough practice seeing through the rough exterior of posturing males to their true motives, and her gaze softened as she took in the situation. Before she could give voice to her thoughts, however, she was interrupted.

"We have company." The two turned their attention to the forgotten fire apparition and when she cast out with her senses she could feel them too. Several dozen at least, and not the low-level trash that had been coming at her so far, either.

As she reached for her powers she missed the hard look Yoko shot her, their conversation was far from over.

 **A/N:**

 **Thanks to all who read and review, and Special thanks to Kat for their well-thought review. Thanks also to Foxgloves, Otaku-ka-ren, ThaiilandBeauty, FoxLuna, Heaven-water-sister, StarlitBaby, Lord Typhlosion, Heliam11, KannaKyomu, and AshleyRenee for following and supporting the story from the start.**

 **I hope everyone continues to enjoy the story! Remember if you have a request for something to happen in the fic just leave a review and I'll see what I can do to incorporate it. Not really sure what we'll do with the pairings yet.**


	13. Chapter 13

As the demons drew closer Kagome's breath caught in her throat. There was a lot more than she had originally sensed, it was nothing short of an army. One hundred at least. More aura's hovered at the edges of her senses and she had to hearten herself with the knowledge that she had faced greater numbers and come out victorious. She ignored the voice that pointed out the fact that she was sans windscar and the wind tunnel.

The miko took a steadying breath and drew her bow taught.

The attack came from the sky. All the worse for the bat-winged enemy, for if the creatures had hoped to take the trio by surprise they, instead, were forced to split the first wave of their force into two halves as Kagome's sacred arrow streaked through their ranks and diminished any lower-class youkai nearby to ash. Several stronger creatures now sported smoking burns and the enemy force was at least six warriors lighter.

Kagome cursed inwardly. The demons were quick and just scattered enough that she could not get enough lined up to do any significant damage to their ranks. The miko took in what she could of the shifting creatures as she looked for another opening. Most were a pale blue to gray, hairless, and with bones that protruded against their flesh like starving animals. Their fangs were uneven needles and their eyes a blank staring white. Whether these things were blind or not she could not tell. As it was they were still creepy as all hell.

Kagome took another breath and tried not to think of the reinforcements that flapped their way towards their position. Another pink-clad arrow sung through the air and two more went down. The beasts seemed to realize her position and her heart nearly stopped as she noticed the two dozen closest to her break away from the formation and dive straight for her. Kagome's white bow flared pink with her power and she prepared to knock the first demon to reach her aside, only to flinch back as the whistling of a whip hewed the first two attackers into bits and scattered the rest.

"Y-Yoko?" Kagome had turned to look at the kitsune and was taken aback by the almost Sesshomaru-like coldness that had entered his eyes. His attention did not deviate from the enemies scattered above them The miko would never have believed he was able to be so serious. His eyes slid to her and she looked away, flushing for reasons she did not want to think about.

"Concentrate." Hiei chimed in as innards spilled around him. Mangled body parts twitched around him, but despite the gore staining the grass and dirt at his feet, not a drop seemed to dirty his person. Kagome could not say the same. Several dark spots stained her custom made fire-rat clothes and there was a smear on her cheek where an intestine had slapped her wetly on it's flight past. The bat-like youkai were surprisingly timid considering they had been the ones to pick the fight. Indeed they seemed content to heckle the trio and their force divided and re-formed like ocean waves above them.

The large cloud of their remaining forces joined the chaos above them nearly blotting out the sun in their numbers. The beasts danced just out of range of her arrows, jeering and shouting down at the three below them. She squinted up as she sensed a strangely familiar aura somewhere within the mass of strange youkai. She gasped as two dropped out of the seething mass of wings supporting a weakly struggling figure.

"Shippo!" She cried with dismay and disbelief. She had never thought she would be reunited with her old friend in this fashion. The bats holding him shot her taunting smirks as they dug their claws into the not-so-small kitsune and drew a yelp out of him as blood dribbled from the fresh wounds on his shoulders and onto the filthy tatters of what she assumed had been clothes at one time.

Disbelief gave way to rage and a spark of blue flashed through her normally pink aura. "Get your filthy hands off of him!" Her snarl would have given youkai-inuyasha a run for his money.

"We'd be glad to..." The first one rasped as it's comrades snickered where they darted around, behind, and above the hostage. "If you take his place." Kagome grit her teeth together as the pair drifted boldly closer so that her human eyes could clearly see the pathetic malnourished state of her old friend.

Her rage only grew as the limp form of her kitsune friend drifted closer and she saw the discoloration of his skin from burns, bruises and open wounds that leaked. His hair was dreadlocks from lack of care and five matted tails hung limply behind him. She drew her bow and aimed only for the group to laugh.

"Your bluff wont work, miko." Chortled one of the beasts holding Shippo, "Boss told us how important this kitsune is to you. You won't risk hitting it."

"Your boss doesn't know shit." She growled as she drew on a power she had not used since the defeat of Naraku. Hitomiko had been the catalyst to a very useful lesson she had learned during her final days in the feudal era, and while she may not be using the sacred longbow of Mt Azusa, for it probably still lay in the stretch of trees outside her shrine, the technique had been long mastered. Her pink of her pure aura bled purple then blue as she channeled every iota of power she could into the ability. She would take no chances.

She aimed where the wings of the pair holding Shippo overlapped behind him. If she were firing a normal arrow it would have to tear through the kitsune's heart to reach it's target. With resolution in her heart she let the brilliant blue arrow fly. The demons smirked and held their hostage higher only for their eyes to widen in shock as the whistling arrow disappeared and bypassed the kitsune completely. Kagome ignored the sudden dizziness from the strain of drawing so much power out of herself so quickly and ran to where the fox's body thumped loudly into the dusty earth.

"Shippo!" She sobbed as she dropped to her knees next to his battered form. Her hands trembled while she smoothed his dirty hair away from his equally filthy face. She held her ear to his chest and cried with relief at the sound of his heart. Kagome ignored the strange dark snowflakes that caught in her eyelashes and began to cover Shippo's unconscious form. The miko may have had eyes for only one thing at the moment, but Yoko and Hiei had witnessed the enormous blast of energy that had decimated almost all of the bats.

The two demons exchanged a look and Hiei nodded before disappearing in a flash. Cautiously the silver fox approached the unstable miko and her fallen five-tail companion.

"Some escaped the blast. Hiei is tracking them. They won't get far." The silver fox eyed the red kitsune with something akin to disgust as he covered his nose. "The boy needs a bath."

Kagome bit her tongue on the sharp comment she wanted to throw Yoko's way. She could not stop her body from shaking, whether it was from strain or guilt she knew not. Though she'd had no way of knowing that Shippo had been imprisoned, still, she felt as if she was to blame for his suffering.

"Ka...gome?" His voice was raspy and weak and she flinched as she spotted several places where his teeth were growing back. The gum was scarred as if the fangs had been repeatedly pulled.

"Shhh I'm here. You're safe." Her voice broke as moisture gathered in her eyes. She closed them until the stinging passed and offered him the bright smile he was used to.

"I knew...I knew I'd see you again." He offered his own malformed smile and she leaned forward to rest her forehead against his as a few of her rogue tears dropped onto his skin and created streaks in the grime on his cheeks.

"Rest. We'll have time to talk when you're better." She promised as she gathered him to her as best she could and fished Inuyasha's Haori out of her bag to spread over him. "You've gotten so big." She murmured as her lips twitched with a ghost of a smile, "and I missed it." The sting pricked the back of her throat and she swallowed.

By the time Hiei had returned shaking blood off his katana a sedate fire was crackling. Kagome crouched over the stripped form of the red fox with a barely glowing hand running gently over his abused chest. The bruises were wiped away as if she had taken a cloth to mud, but her hands were forced to linger on the many deeper wounds that cris-crossed over his chest and arms. Even his tails had not escaped punishment.

"It surprised me, too." Yoko mumbled from where he lazed against a tree, one leg up and an arm draped over it. "I never knew miko could heal demons." Though he also never knew a priest or priestess whom had felt the desire to try.

"Hn." The apparition agreed as he took up shop in the tree Yoko leaned against.

"Articulate as always." The silver fox teased as his golden gaze lingered on the pair near the flames. In all honesty the fox was a little jealous of the newcomer. Jealousy was not an emotion the fox was used to feeling, for usually what he sought he got be it a material treasure or the glistening jewel of a maidenhead. Honestly the kitsune was growing tired of how the miko seemed to warm to everybody except for himself.

For kami's sake the vixen had even managed to charm Hiei. Not many could claim true friendship with the taciturn cursed child, but he could see it in the way the apparition interacted with her, much the way he interacted with Yukina. Hell, she even treated the icy lord Sesshomaru more warmly than she treated himself. She had warmed to his human ego Shuichi easily enough, so what about his true self was so off-putting?

Honestly, what did that little five-tail have that he, The Yoko Kurama, could not give double.

* * *

A figure not so far away from our heroine narrowed his crimson gaze as he wiped away the blood that dripped from his bitten lip. Those damn cave-dwellers had made a clumsy mess of his only valuable hostage. He had specifically told the idiots not to linger within her range with the hostage, and the stupid beasts had been hovering about her like a cloud of moths above a flame.

He'd make sure to inform their queen of the failure of her children. Perhaps he would inform her of each individual failure with a different instrument and see what kind of symphony he could coax from her throat.

His eyes hovered hatefully over the pair near the fire before he vacated the area. His barrier was not what it once was, he could not indefinitely conceal his scent and presence, as the miko had demonstrated that night by the stream.

Soon. Soon he would have her, and they would be bound together for eternity.

* * *

Emerald eyes opened up to the world of darkness and saw stars for the first time in nearly two years. His surroundings were so peaceful, and the pain that had tainted his body was hardly there at all. He turned his head to where Kagome dozed in a kneeling position at his side and lifted a clawed hand to run through her black tresses. She came awake with a start and gifted him with a watery smile.

"Shippo!" She threw her arms around his healed torso and buried her face in the crook of his neck and let loose the floodgates. His embraced her gently as she soaked his chest with her wracking sobs. "I'm so sorry Shippo."

"Kagome..." He hated to start off with the heavy stuff, but it was important. "Kagome there's something you need to know." He rubbed soothing circles on her back as she slowly calmed down.

"Naraku's back."

 **A/N:**

 **I read that a kitsune gets a tail for every century of life which is how it was decided that Shippo gets five tails. That being said I assume Yoko has nine tails (You know since he's supposed to be 1,000 years old and Yoko usually refers to a nine-tail fox), but if that's incorrect please correct me.**


	14. Chapter 14

Aside from a white-knuckled fist against her knees Kagome gave no outward sign of having heard her greatest fear put to voice. Really, she wanted to write it off, it simply wasn't possible. Right? Naraku had been purified with the jewel five-hundred years ago. Or two years ago, depending on if you took the short or the long way. She knew, though, that her fox kit, no matter how much time had changed him, would never lie to her. She had known in her heart of hearts that the spider hanyou had been back, but she hadn't wanted to give the knowledge power.

The attack against his lands made so much more sense when she factored in this knowledge. Naraku was up to his old tricks of trying to separate her from her protectors. He knew Sesshomaru would have to defend his land if it came under siege. Naraku had set it up, likely because he knew that with Sesshomaru by her side she was practically untouchable. The miko had to resist the urge to throw worried looks at Yoko and Hiei as she wondered what tricks he would have up his sleeve for those two.

 _Those two are big boys, they can take care of themselves._ She tried to reassure herself _. Shippo is a big boy, too, and look what happened to him._ A treacherous voice whispered in the back of her mind.

"I know you don't want to believe it. I wouldn't either." Shippo's voice and warm touch on her arm broke her out of her thoughts and she moved to grip his calloused and scarred hand with a resigned smile.

"I believe you, Shippo." She had hoped otherwise, but the aura she had sensed while traveling with Yoko and Sesshomaru could have belonged to no other. She traced a point on the back of his hand where several thin scars converged into a thick blemish under his middle finger. "How long-" Her voice cracked and she had to begin again. "How long has he had you? How long do you think he's been back?"

"He came for the tribe almost two years ago." The kitsune noticed her attention sharpen at his words and his voice quailed under the foreboding look that crossed her face as well as the pink crackle of energy that sparked at her sudden agitation. He had missed her warm friendship so much that he had forgotten how scary Kagome could really be. "He...he took me and Koga that day." Her furious look died away at that.

"Koga...?" Her face paled as dread pooled in her stomach, "don't tell me."

"I know he has Koga. I don't know what's become of the tribe." Shippo shifted uneasily before he continued, "I need to go back to them. To see if they're still alive."

She felt a pang of sadness. She had hoped he'd jump right into the adventure with her as Sesshomaru had planned. She had hoped...but of course he would have other priorities, 500 _years_ had passed. She should count herself lucky that he had remembered her at all, for she was there and gone in the blink of an eye for him. She steeled her aching heart and nodded with determination.

"I'll come with you."

* * *

Shippo was ecstatic to see Kagome again, though he did wish that the circumstances had been a little better. Still, they were together again and on a quest just like the old days. The five-tail pulled at Inuyasha's fire-rat haori that Kagome had given him after he'd bathed. It rode uncomfortably high on him now that he was roughly the same height Inuyasha had been and without the hakama he really felt like Jakotsu.

Kagome had laughed loudly when he voiced his feelings on the subject which had prompted him to smirk a bit at the humor of his situation. The smirk may have also had a bit to do with the envious golden gaze boring holes in the back of his head as well. Really, though he never thought he'd wear the material again when Kagome and Inuyasha had disappeared through the well together. While the kitusne had hoped that both the miko and the hanyou had survived whatever trials the jewel had put before them, the fact that Inuyasha hadn't returned through the well compounded with the sight of Tessaiga on Kagome's hip drove home the truth he had suspected these last few centuries.

Inuyasha hadn't made it afterall.

The thought saddened the Kitsune, but centuries of the hanyou's absence softened the blow quite a bit. He imagined it had been, and probably still was, pretty hard on Kagome. The five-tail observed her surreptitiously and noticed the small things, such as the way she would stroke Tessaiga absently while they walked. What particularly caught his interest was the fact that she tried very hard not to look at the silver kitsune. When she did catch sight of the other fox she would immediately look away, and she attempted to keep another body, his or Hiei's between her and Yoko at any time.

Shippo didn't think the other fox had hurt his friend, indeed he thought he caught the wisps of kitsune interest from the silver fox. No, his own intuition told him that something far more interesting than fear was going on in his miko friend's head. The red fox dropped back to where the other kept the slow pace.

"Sucks to be you, man. That problem is going to be hard to get over." Shippo grinned, amused.

"I don't have a problem." Yoko kept his voice aloof, there was no way that this little five-tail had seen through him and definitely not so quickly.

"I'll bet it's because you look so much like him." The younger kitsune continued as if he hadn't spoken. "Y'know, gold eyes, silver hair, fuzzy ears on your head. You look like a grownup, and prettier, Inuyasha." Shippo made sure that his voice was low enough that Kagome would not overhear the conversation. He wanted to mess with Yoko's head, not Kagome's.

The irony of the situation was hardly lost on Shippo. It was too similiar to Inuyasha's problem between Kikiyo and Kagome. Likely Kagome realized this, too, and distanced herself.

Shippo thought he understood what her mindset was. She did not want to let the feelings grow and only see Inuyasha in him, like she felt the half-dog had only seen Kikiyo in her for a long time. The grief of Inuyasha's death was obviously still fresh on the miko's mind, and the fact that the other fox possessed most of the same physical characteristics was obviously hard for her to get over.

"Inuyasha?" Yoko thought he'd heard the name somewhere before.

"He traveled with us back then." Shippo continued as his five-tails twitched when he saw mischief to be had. "He and Kagome sure were close." The slight tightening of the silver-fox's jaw brought a smirk to Shippo's face. "And when they were together things sure got loud, everyone knew exactly what they were up to for miles around." Shippo kept his giggling under control at the heat that entered his victims golden eyes. The red kitsune kept the fact that Inuyasha and Kagome were loud because they were arguing all the time to himself.

"She'd have him on the ground before you could blink an eye." Shippo continued after a beat, referring to her infamous 'sit.' And nearly lost his shit laughing as the elder fox's lip lifted in what looked to be the beginnings of a snarl.

 _That ought to bring Yoko Kurama down a peg._ Shippo grinned to himself.

-.-.-

Kagome wasn't sure what she had expected, but it certainly hadn't been a village razed to the ground and still smoking. The priestess was reminded now more than ever of her shard hunting adventures. She couldn't help but wonder if it was an every day occurrence, or if it was Naraku to blame for the destruction.

Shippo cursed under his breath as his face drained of color. His reaction was all the answer she needed. This had, indeed, been the wolf's village. The red fox tipped his head back and let out a series of yips that rose into a high pitched howl which drew a raised eyebrow from the silver fox at his side. Several lower pitched howls answered somewhere in the distance.

"That's Koharu." Shippo said with relief. "I wonder why Ayame didn't respond..."

Several four-legged wolf demons leapt over what remained of a wall that had bordered the woods and a small girl clung to the back of a large black wolf. She wore a white pelt much like Ayame's and had her green eyes, but those emerald eyes blinked out of Koga's face and his black hair tufted around her head.

"Kawaii..." Kagome gasped as she pressed her hands to her mouth to keep from squealing and seizing the tiny demon, only a little larger than Shippo had been when she left him on the other side of the well.

"Oniisan." The youngster ignored the strangers in their midst, "you came back!" She stumbled off the back of the large wolf and threw herself into Shippo's waiting arms. "Those bad demons that took you and dad came back and they...they..." She sniffled and hiccuped "they took mom!"

"They took Ayame?" The red fox pulled away to look into the youngster's eyes. "What of Kota?"

"He's here, but there's no nursing females to put him to." A man's voice cut in and Ginta stepped through looking worse for the wear. His arm and both legs were wrapped tightly and several new scars decorated his face that looked at least ten years older. "Kagome-nee." A somber smile greeted her, "I thought I smelled something familiar. I only wish we could greet you under better circumstances. Come on, you and your companions can lodge in the caverns with us for the night."

Kagome hung back with Yoko and Hiei to give Shippo a chance to get caught up with the pack business. She watched how the youngster clung to one of the red kitsune's tails, she noticed the lost and haunted look in her eyes so similar to the children of the feudal era left in the wake of Naraku's cruelty and guilt wracked her body.

 _This only happened because Naraku is after me_. She thought bitterly to herself. _Why else would he have been completely non-existant until two years ago? Why else target my old traveling companions?_ What She really wanted to know was what exactly the spider hanyou wanted with her now. _  
_

 ** _A/N:_**

 **Thank you so much for all the feedback! We passed 100 Reviews! I love the questions you all ask you have no idea how much your questions and feedback have changed the direction of this story and I think it's so much better than the original concept I had.**


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